Zea. - Synonym. - Corn-silk. The styles and stigmas of Zea Mays Linne (nat. ord. Gramineae).

Habitat

Tropical America; cultivated in the warm, temperate zone.

Characters

Thread-like; about 15 cm. long, and 0.5 mm. broad, yellowish or greenish, soft silky, finely hairy, and delicately veined longitudinally; inodorous; taste sweetish.

Composition

Its chief constituents are - (1) Maizenic Acid, about 2 per cent (2) Fixed oil. (3) Resin. (4) Salts.

Dose, 1 to 2 dr.; 4. to 8. gm.

Action And Uses Of Cornsilk

Corn-silk is a mild but fairly certain diuretic when given in full doses. It is useful in acute and chronic cystitis and in the bladder irritation of uric acid and for phosphatic gravel. It is possibly as well a cardiac stimulant in the dropsy of heart disease. It is best administered in the form of an infusion, in boiling water (1 to 8), taken almost ad libitum.,