Description. The leaves are deep green on the upper surface, lighter beneath, smooth, five-partite, the segments wedge-shaped and pinnately cut. The root is fusiform, like a carrot, from one to three inches long, not thicker than the finger at the crown, with fleshy fibres, dark brown on the surface, whitish within. The flowers are purple, helmet-shaped, and in racemes.

Prep. & Comp. All parts of the plant are bitter and acrid, causing tingling of the lips and skin, followed by numbness; they contain the alkaloid, Aconitia (C60 H47 No14) united with Aconitic acid (C4 Ho3); another base is also present, which has been named Aconella, resembling narcotine in its composition and properties, capable of crystallization, but not possessing the active properties of Aconitia. Aconitia is a white uncrystallizable solid, soluble in 150 parts of cold, and 50 parts of hot water, and much more soluble in alcohol and ether; alkaline, neutralizing acids, and precipitated from them by the caustic alkalies, but not by carbonate of ammonia, or the bicarbonates of potash or soda. It melts with heat, and burns with a smoky flame; causes tingling, followed by numbness when rubbed on the skin. It is a very active poison; entirely soluble in pure ether, and leaves no residue when burned with free access of air.

Off. Prep. - Of Aconite (leaves). Extractum Aconiti. Extract of Aconite. (Aconite leaves, fresh, are bruised, and the juice treated as directed for the green extracts.) See Introduction. [Tinctura Aconiti Folii. Tincture of Aconite Leaf. Two pints of tincture are obtained, by percolation, from four troy ounces of powdered leaves. U. S.]

Of the Root:-

Tinctura Aconiti. Tincture of Aconite. (Aconite root, in fine powder, two ounces and a half; rectified spirit, twenty fluid ounces. Prepared by maceration and percolation.) [Aconite Root, in fine powder, twelve troy ounces; two pints of tincture are obtained by percolation. U. S.]

This tincture has one fourth of the strength of Tinctura Aconiti, Dub., and one-third of the strength of Tinctura Aconiti, Lond.

Linimentum Aconiti. Liniment of Aconite. [Not officinal in U. S. P.] (Aconite root, in powder, twenty ounces; camphor, one ounce; rectified spirit, thirty fluid ounces. The product should measure twenty fluid ounces. Prepared by maceration and percolation, and then adding the camphor.)

Of Aconitia:-

Unguentum Aconitle. Ointment of Aconitia. [Not officinal in U. S. P.] (Aconitia, eight grains; rectified spirit, half a fluid drachm; prepared lard, one ounce.)

The Alkaloid Aconitia is prepared by thoroughly exhausting the root by maceration and percolation with rectified spirit; distilling off the spirit, and making a watery solution (with boiling water) of the alcoholic extract; the solution is filtered, and ammonia added in slight excess to the filtered liquid, which is gently heated, the precipitate separated on a filter and dried. The precipitate is powdered and treated with successive portions of ether; the ether is distilled off, and the dry ethereal extract dissolved in warm water, acidulated with sulphuric acid, and again precipi-12 tated with ammonia. Lastly, the precipitate is washed on a filter with a little cold distilled water, and dried between folds of blotting paper.

Therapeutics. Given internally in small doses, aconiteproduces tingling of the lips and tongue, a peculiar sensation at the palate and pharynx, and warmth at the epigastrium; in large doses tingling may occur in the extremities, followed by numbness, and a feeling of faintness, with weak and often intermitting action of the heart, and occasionally diuresis; pain, if present, is diminished or removed; if the dose is still larger, alarming symptoms of vascular depression are produced. Externally aconite causes at first a tingling of the part, succeeded by numbness, and cessation of local pain. It appears to cause contraction of the pupil, both when topically applied and when taken internally. [In several cases of poisoning by aconite, seen by the editor, the pupils were moderately dilated, and nausea and vomiting were present.]

Aconite has been used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, acute and chronic gout, neuralgia and carcinomatous affections, to relieve pain; in hypertrophy and other diseases of the heart, to allay palpitation; in dropsies, on account of its occasional diuretic properties, etc.; but it is at the present time rarely employed as an internal remedy, on account of its powerful and often alarming effects. Externally applied in the form of the liniment, it is very valuable in different forms of neuralgia, and in chronic rheumatic pains. Aconitia has the same properties as the Aconite leaf or root, and in fact imparts to the different parts of the plant their virtues; it is not given internally,- as the one-fiftieth part of a grain may cause very alarming symptoms, but it is much used as an external remedy in the form of the ointment. Sometimes much irritation of the skin is produced by its use.

Dose. Of tincture of aconite, 3 min. to 10 min. and upwards [of the tincture of aconite root of the U. S. P., the dose is from 3 to 5 drops; beyond this the dose must be cautiously increased. Of the tincture of aconite leaf, an uncertain preparation, the dose is 20 or 30 drops]; of extract of aconite, 1 gr. to 4 gr. An alcoholic extract is sometimes used, of which the dose should be from 1/6 gr. gradually increased.

Adulteration. Aconitia is often very impure; sometimes it is mixed with Delphinia, and sometimes it contains Aconella, the other principle contained in the root and precipitated with the Aconitia. Pure aconitia in 1/50 gr. dose will destroy a dog; but 1 gr. of the spurious alkaloid can often be given without much effect.

Podophyllum. Podophyllum. The dried rhizome of Podophyllum peltatum, or the American May-apple; Lin. Syst., Poly-andria monogynia; called sometimes Mandrake in the United States, over which it is extensively diffused.

Podophylli Resina. Resin of Podophyllum; Podophylline. A resin obtained from Podophyllum by means of rectified spirit.

Description. Podophyllum occurs in thin rhizomes a few inches long and 2 lines in thickness, brown, jointed, with numerous radicles, wrinkled longitudinally, it breaks short, and is whitish internally; powder, greyish-yellow, with a sweet odour and sweetish acrid taste.

The resin or Podophylline is a pale greenish-brown amorphous powder, and is prepared by the following process: - Podophyllum root in coarse powder is exhausted by percolation with rectified spirit. The spirit is then distilled off, and the remaining liquid slowly poured into three times its volume of water acidulated with hydrochloric acid. The deposited resin is afterwards washed on a filter with distilled water, and dried.

Prop. & Comp. Podophyllum contains resinous matters, together with gum and other substances soluble in water; the resin constitutes about 3 1/2 per cent. of the root, and is soluble in rectified spirit and ammonia; it is precipitated from the former by water, from the latter by acids. It is almost entirely soluble in pure ether. Berberine is stated to exist in the root, and to be contained in much of the commercial podophylline. Berberine is contained in larger quantities in the Hydrastis canadensis, and in other plants belonging to the order Ranunculaceae, also in the Cocculus palmatus. It is represented by the formula (C40 H17 NO,).

Therapeutics. Podophyllum and its resin act as drastic cathartics very much like jalap: they are used in congestions of the liver or portal system; and combined with calomel, and bitartrate of potash, in dropsies.

Dose. Of the powder, about 10 gr. to 20 gr.; of the resin (podophylline), 1/4 gr. to 2 gr.

Helleborus. (Not officinal.) [Officinal in U. S. P.] The rhizome and root of the Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose, or Black Hellebore; Lin. Syst., Polyandria polygynia; inhabiting Central Europe; imported from Marseilles and Hamburg

Description. Dark brown rhizomes with numerous rootlets when cut, exhibiting a whitish appearance.

Prop. & Comp. Taste very acrid and bitter, but sweetish at first; it has been stated to contain a crystalline principle, Helleborin, but this statement has not been as yet confirmed; besides which, gallic acid, an acrid oil, and resin, salts, etc, have been found.

Tinctura Hellebori, Lond. 1851. Tincture of Hellebore. (Hellebore, bruised, five ounces; proof spirit, two pints. Macerate for seven days, then press and strain.)

Therapeutics. In full medicinal doses, it is a powerful drastic purgative, stated also to be emmenagogue: little used in this country at present; formerly employed in cerebral affections, and melancholia.

Dose. Of the powder, 5 gr. to 20 gr.; of the tincture, 1/2 fl. drm. to 1 fl. drm.

Staphisagria. (Not officinal.) The seed of Delphinium Staphis-agria or Stavesacre; Lin. Syst., Polyandria trigynia; inhabiting chiefly the southern parts of Europe.

Description. The seed is irregularly triangular, of a brownish black colour, deeply pitted on the surface.

Prop. & Comp. No odour, acrid taste, contains an alkaloid, Delphinia (C27 H19 N02 ?), together with resin, fatty matter, wax, lignin, etc.

Therapeutics. Stavesacre appears to act as an emetic and purgative, when given internally, and has been used as an anthelmintic; it seems also to possess narcotic properties. Externally it has the power of destroying pediculi, and may be used in powder or ointment.

Dose. 3 gr. to 10 gr., in powder and decoction; very seldom used.

Actaea racemoea. (Not officinal.) The root of Actaea or Cimi-cifuga racemosa. Black Snake Root. [Cimicifuga. The root of C. Racemosa. U. S.]

This remedy, which has been much used in America, has lately been introduced into this country. Its use is said to have been attended with much success in rheumatic fever, in chorea, and in lumbago, and in some forms of puerperal hypochondriasis.

The tincture, made by macerating four ounces of the root in a pint of spirit, is the most convenient form of administering it; it may be given in doses of from thirty to sixty minims three times a day. [Extractum Cimicifugse fluidum. U. S. Made by percolating finely-powdered cimicifuga first by stronger, and then by diluted, alcohol; the two percolates are then separately evaporated, mixed and filtered. The proportions are such, that 16 ounces of the root make 16 ounces of the fluid extract. The dose is from fifteen to twenty minims.]