A. Diaphoretic, 30, 1003; 32, 2: 175; 36, 5: 444.

C. Eczema capitis infantum.

Specific against crusta lactea, Dillenius.*

The most useful, and in fact the specific remedy, is the Viola tricolor, Haase. +

Specially useful in milk-crust of children, in which it is specific, 23, 1: 308.

Largely employed as an anti-scrofulous remedy in children, and spe-cially in crusta lactea and other forms of eczema and impetigo in infants, 24, 2: 890.

* Dim. inaug. de Lichene pyxidato. Neojnintiae. 1785, p. 32.

+ Ueber die Erkenntniss und Cur der chronisohen Krankheiten. Wien, 1820, B. III., p. 307.

A "precious plant" in eczema, 49, 1: 390.

In crusta lactea this justly prized remedy is suited only to very weakly children; in the robust it not infrequently increases the eruption,

The following authors further testify to its value in eczema capitis: 54, 2: 699; 66, 195; 63, 8: 179; 67, part I, 77; 203.

One of the most powerful depuratives in the Materia Medica, 3, (9th. Ed Vol. I., p. 849).

The wild pansy is slightly diuretic, diaphoretic, and laxative, and is regarded as depurative. . . . Strack gave the powder in doses of two grammes in milk or in decoction, morning and night. ... At the end of four days the face becomes covered with thick crusts, which, however, should not prevent the continuance of the remedy, even after their fall, which usually occurs after the second or third week, as a thirty years' experience has taught him. This author has remarked, as I have myself several times observed, that the urine possesses, during the use of this plant, a fetid odor resembling that of cat's urine. Later, Haase, Metzer, Plouquet, Armstrong, Hahnemann, Thilenius, and nearly all the authors who have interested themselves in cutaneous diseases, have employed the wild pansy in dartres and other cutaneous diseases. Murray speaks in its favor, and Hufeland recommends that a strong decoction be employed for a considerable time. Schlegel carried his confidence in the will pansy even to believing it useful in syphilis, and Brodart has proposed to substitute it for sarsaparilla. I daily employ wild pansy in milk-crust, and have observed decided amelioration of the disease when infants have used it for fifteen or twenty days. I macerate 4 - 8 grammes in 250 grammes of warm water during the night. It is then boiled and diluted with a quarter volume of sweetened milk, and is given fasting. 26, 808.

Highly useful in cutaneous affections, 51, 8: 78; 28,12; 16,17: 515.

The fresh plant or its juice is to be used, as drying destroys its active qualities, Griffith.*

The dry plant should not be employed if it can be avoided. If dried, the desiccation should be effected by artificial heat and rapidly, otherwise fructification will occur. Plants that have become yellowish or have gone to seed should be rejected. Heraud. +

D. Eczema, Schoman; ++ 62, 171; Piffard, 143, Oct. 26, '78.

Remarks

The first to bring the wild pansy (Herba Jaceoe of the older pharmacy) into notice as a remedy of special value in eczema capitis was Strack, who in 1772 published a monograph entitled, "De crusta lactea infantum, ejusdemque specifico remedio dissertatio," etc. A few years later, Dillenius gives it rank as a specific in this affection, as he does mercury and cinchona in other spheres; he writes as follows: "In plurimis aliis morbis a miasmate ortis habentur specifica, uti contra miasma febris intermittentis cortex peruvianus, contra crustoe lacteal miasma jacea, contra syphilitidem mercurius" Still later its use became almost universal in Germany and France. In the latter country, and in Italy, it is still much employed and well thought of. In Germany, however, and especially with the adherents of the Vienna School of dermatology, it has fallen into disuse, Kaposi (198, 101) speaking of it as possessing "nicht den geringsten Einfluss auf den Veraluf der Hautkraukheiten," a statement which is absolutely at variance with fact, as any one may easily ascertain who will take the trouble to procure a good quality of the herb and employ it in the proper manner and in suitable cases. Whoever does this will find that its influence is as marked as that of cinchona in malaria, or mercury in syphilis, and that after a little experience its effects can be predicted with almost if not quite as much certainty. My own acquain-:ce with this drug dates back about twelve years, and 1 first employed it on the recommendation of and in the manner prescribed by Hardy (67), that is, combined with senna as a purgative. An ounce of Viola tricolor with half an ounce of senna, made into a hot infusion with a pint or more of water, one-half taken at night and the remainder in the morning, usually produces free purgation. This may be considered the maximum dose for an adult. It is usually better to divide this into two or three portions, to be taken on successive or alternate nights. This may be kept up for some weeks, regulating the dose according to the effects on the bowels, two stools a day being all the catharsis that is usually desirable. Latterly I have, unless there was a distinct indication for the use of laxa-tives, used the senna for the first week only, or have omitted it altogether.

* Medical Botany, Philadelphia, 1847, p. 140.

+ Nouvean dictionnaire des plantes medicinales. Paris, 1876, p. 381. ++ Arzneimittellehre. Jena, 1853, p. 354.

Under these circumstances one or two drachms of the herb, with half to one pint of hot water, are made into a tea to be taken in twenty-four hours. The herb being placed in a bowl, the water is poured over it and covered with a plate; the infusion is allowed to steep till cool; When administered in this manner, in eczema, it very frequently happens that within a few days, or at most a week, notable aggravation of the eruption will occur. It becomes more irritable, itchy, and inflamed, and increases in extent, or new patches may appear on regions of the body not previously invaded. Patients on their return visit will often complain that the medicine has made them worse instead of better, and may form an unfavorable opinion of your skill. This, however, may be avoided if you take the precaution to warn them on the subject, in advance. Some of the older authorities recommened that this aggravation be disregarded, and that the drug be persevered with as before for some weeks without intermission. My own practice, however, has been to give the drug in greatly diminished doses, or to discontinue it for a few days or a week, give some inert potion in the meantime, and after the artificial irritation shall have subsided, to resume the medicine in much smaller quantity than was at first given. It is in eczema only that I have had much experience in the use of Viola tricolor, but it is not every case to which its use is well adapted, or in which it will prove beneficial. This point will be more fully considered in connection with the general treatment of eczema.

A word as to the plant itself. The Viola tricolor is in this country a well-known and favorite ornament of the garden, and the principal effort of the gardener is to encourage the development of large and handsome flowers. It is an accepted fact that many medicinal plants lose their active properties to a greater or less degree by artificial cultivation, and my own limited experience in the use of the garden pansy leads me to the same conclusion with reference to it. The wild and uncultivated plant then should alone be used. It is a native of and abundant in some parts of Europe, but its occurrence in a natural state in this country has, for some time, been an open question. Prof. Asa Gray states that a variety of it is sparingly naturalized in the eastern United States, a small and insignificant form. According to a writer in the Botanical Gazette, Feb. '80, it has been found in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Texas. At all events, the plant is scarce in this country, and for medical purposes we are obliged to rely on Europe for a sufficient supply of the herb. Much of that which is imported is of very poor quality, and it is expedient that before prescribing it the physician should personally examine the herb which will be furnished on his prescription, that is, if he expects to obtain uniform and good results with it.

The preparation to be employed is not a matter of indifference. I have usually employed and prefer an aqueous to an alcoholic one, and most frequently prescribe the infusion prepared as above directed.

The following offers a possible explanation of the activity and efficacy of this drug:

Mr. Mandelin has begun a chemical analysis of Viola tricolor, of which some preliminary results have been communicated by Prof. George Dragendorff, of Dorpat.

The aqueous extracts of the plant having been concentrated to the consistence of honey, and mucilage and salts having been separated as much as possible, by precipitation with alcohol, the resulting solution was deprived of alcohol by distillation, and the residue shaken with ether, which left, on evaporation, a crystalline substance. This was purified by repeated crystallizations from hot water, and afterwards alcohol and ether. When perfectly pure, it had all the properties and reactions of salicylic acid, and was proved to be this substance by proximate analysis. Another substance so far separated by Mr. Mandelin, is tartrate of magnesium. - Abstract received from Prof. G. Dragendorff" 152, '80, 146.