A manual of pharmacy / By William Thomas Brande.

  • Brande, William Thomas, 1788-1866.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of pharmacy / By William Thomas Brande. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    61/564 (page 47)
    The spontaneous exudation of the M. Peruiferum is pale- coloured, and of a more purely balsamic odour; it is sometimes called ivfiite Peruvian, or Indian Balsam, or Opohalsamum. From Tromsdorlf's analysis of this variety, it closely resembles Tolu balsam. BALSAMUM TOLUTANUM—Tok ^a/sam.—This has generally been considered as the produce of a South American tree (the Toluifera halsamurn), but from a more recent inquiry into the subject it appears that it is obtained by exudation from the Myroxylon Peruiferum—that it flows freely from incisions in its bark, and is collected in mats and calabashes, where it hardens, and is thus brought to this country. In very cold weather Tolu balsam is brittle, but when kneaded a little in the warm hand it becomes soft and tenacious. It has an agreeable balsamic smell and taste ; when heated, it fuses, inflames, and disperses a very pleasant benzoic odour. Distilled with water, it yields a little volatile oil and about 10 or 12 per cent, of benzoic acid, and 80 to 90 of resin. Tolu balsam is placed by systematic writers on the Materia Medica among the stimulating expectorants, and as such has sometimes been employed in dry chronic coughs, unattended by inflammatory action, in doses of from 5 to 20 grains. The only use now made of Tolu balsam is to impart a pleasant flavour to syrup and lozenges. It forms an ingredient in the tindura benzoini compositi of the Pharmacopoeia, which is merely a slight modification of the once celebrated Friar's Balsam. Officinal Preparations.—Syrupus Tolutanus. Tinct. Benz. comp. BELLADONNiE FOLIA—T/ie Leaves of the Atropa Bel- ladonna S or Deadly Nightshade.—This plant is indigenous, growing in shady places, flowering in June and July, and ripening its berries in September. It has a thick whitish root, which is perennial, and sends forth strong, branched, annual, purple stems, from 3 to 5 feet high. The leaves are of une- qual size, entire, oval, pointed, and stand in pairs upon short footstalks. The flowers are of a brownish-purple colour, large, pendent, bell-shaped, furrowed, and the limb cut into 5 seg- ments. The whole plant is covered with down. The leaves of this plant have a nauseous bitterish taste, and are intensely poisonous. In an overdose they produce delirious wandering of the mind and stupor, dilatation of the pupil, convulsions, and death ; and, when even very carefully administered in the form of powder or of extract, in doses commencing with 1 ' C/. 5. Orel. I. Pentandria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Lunia, Linn, Sola- naces, Jutt,