This section is from the book "A Text-Book Of Pharmacology, Therapeutics And Materia Medica", by T. Lauder Brunton. Also available from Amazon: A text-book of pharmacology, therapeutics and materia medica.
The fresh leaves of Prunus Laurocerasus.
Characters. - Ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, distinctly toothed, furnished with glands at the base, smooth and shining, deep green, on strong short footstalks; emitting a ratafia odour when bruised.
Composition. - By distillation the leaves yield bitter-almond oil and hydrocyanic acid.
Action. - Cherry-laurel water has an action similar to hydrocyanic acid, but is only 1/20th of the strength of the B.P. acid.
Use. - Cherry-laurel water is supposed to be an elegant mode of giving prussic acid.
 
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