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Show COMMON ASARABACCA, =. f\ mn ANG ‘ i Hi \\ ANS \\ : mW A467 cuanha; but it seems to contain, besides its odorous 9 te which is probably camphor, a portion of the same acri Bh ciple which has been noticed when speaking. of arum. 2 : this its virtues depend ; and as this principle is volatile, we fn accordingly that asarabacca loses much of its activity by decoce tion and long keeping. MEDICAL USE. Given in substance; from half a drachm to 4 drachm, it evacuates powerfully both upwards and downwards. It is said eat alcoholic tinctures possess both the emetic and cathartic virtues of the plant; that the extract obtained by inspissating these tince tures acts only by vomiting, and with great mildness ; that an infusion in water proves cathartic, rarely emetic; that aqueous decoctions made by long boiling, and the watery extract, have no purgative or emetic quality, but prove good diaphoretics, COMMON ASARABACCA. ASARUM EUROPAEUM. Class XI. Dodecandria. Order I. Monogynia. Essent. Grn. Cuar. Calyx three- or four-cleft, sitting upon the germen: Corolla none: Capsule coria ceous, coronate. SPEC, CHAR, Leaves reniform, obtus e, bifurcate. ’ diuretics, and emmenagogues. ! The principal use of this plant among us is a sternutatory. The root of asarumis perhaps the strongest of all the vegetable errhines, white hellebore itself not excepted. Snuffed up the nose, in’ the quantity of a grain or two, it aon a large evacuation of mucus, andraises a plentiful spitting. The leaves are considerably milder, and may be used to the quantity of three, four, or five grains. Geoffroy relates, that after es up a dose of this errhine at night, he has frequently fae Ee _ the discharge from the nose to continue for three days together ; DESCRIPTION, and that he has known a paralysis of the mouth and tongue cured by one dose. He recommends this medicine in stubborn Tu leaves rise immediately from the root, anddivide from one stem in pairs : the flower proceeds from betwixt these leaves. ‘Lhe flowers are large, purple, and bell-shaped. disorders of the head, proceeding fromviscid tenacious matter, in palsies, and in soporific distempers. PREPARATION. HISTORY. This is a perennial plant, which is a n ative of some places of England, although the dried roots ar e€ generally brought from the Levant. It grows in moist and shady situations. It produces oxy two leaves, which arere niform and very obtuse. The root is fibrous, of a gray-brown colour externally, but white within. Both the roots andleaves have a nauseous, bitter, acrimonious, hot taste; their smell is strong, and not very disagreeable. In its analysis it is said by Neumann to agree with ipeca- Comprounp Powner or Asarapacca. (Pulvis Asari Compositus. L.) Take of asarabacca, ————~ ‘sweet marjoram, ——— Syrian herb-mastich, ——— lavender, of each, dried, one ounce: ; Reduce themtogether to powder, which is to be kept in a closed phial. 2u2 |