On the organic materia medica of the British pharmacopoeia : two lectures delivered before the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, on February 24th and March 23rd, 1864 / by Robert Bentley.

Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the organic materia medica of the British pharmacopoeia : two lectures delivered before the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, on February 24th and March 23rd, 1864 / by Robert Bentley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    CAMriiORA.—This well-known substance is described “ as a concrete volatile oil, obtained from the wood of Camphora officinarum by sublimation, and resub- limed iu bell-shaped masses ; imported from China.” The statement in the Pharmacopceia is incorrect, as crude camphor is alone imported, and is after- wards purified by resublimation in this country. Cardamomum.—The JMalabar Cardamom obtained from the Elettaria Ccir- (lamamum is alone officinal, as in the last London Pharmacopceia. The Phar- macopoeia directs for use “ the seeds contained iu their capsules, which are to be removed when the seeds are employed.” This is not strictly correct, as a capsule is a kind of fruit of which the seeds form a necessary part; hence, in removing the capsules, we should take away the seeds ako. No doubt this expression would be understood, and the seeds used as directed, but it would have been better to have said—the seeds contained in their coverings (pericarp), which are to be removed when the seeds are employed. Catechu.—Two kinds of catechu are officinal, as in the last London Pharma- copoeia ; one is called the Black Catechu, and is an extract of the heartwood of Acacia Catechu; and the other is termed Pale Catechu, and is an extract of the leaves and young shoots of Uncaria Gamhir. Both sorts are directed to be em- ployed indifferently in the Infusum, Pulvis Coinpositus, and Tinctura Catechu ; and the pale catechu alone in the Trochisci Catechu. Surely this is a mistake, at least as regards the Infusum and Tinctura Catechu, for such preparations would vary much, and more especially in colour, according to the kind of catechu employed, and would thus frequently lead the patient to the belief of his medi- cines being wrongly prepared. Chijrata, Cuiretta.—This was formerly officinal in the Edinburgh and Dublin Pharmacopoeias, but not in that of the London College. The entire plant (^Ophelia Chirata^ DC.) is officinal in the British PharmacojDoeia. It has been long employed in India, both by the native and European practitioners, and is held in great esteem. In its operation, as well as by its botanical affinities, it is nearly allied to Gentian, and is reputecl to be useful in the same diseases. As two plants of the same Natural Order are now excluded, namely Erythrcea Cen- taurium and Menyanthes trifoliata^ both of which were officinal iu the last Edin- burgh Pharmacopoeia, and till recently also in the London and Dublin Pharma- copoeias, we regard Chirata as a desirable substance to be introduced into the British Pharmacopoeia. It has been also introduced into the new United States Pharmacopceia. CoccuLus, CoccuLus Indices.—This is the dried fruit of the Anamirta Cocculus of Wight and Arnott, a plant of the Natural Order Menispermaceae. It is a native of the Malabar coast, and of the Eastern Archipelago. The fruit, now officinal in the British Pharmacopoeia, was formerly so in the late Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, and till recently in the Dublin also, but it has never been in- cluded in the IMateria Medica of the London Pharmacopoeia. We regard its in- troduction into the British Pharmacopoeia as a circumstance much to be re- gretted, for it is a powerful poison, and is possessed of no important remedial properties so far as we can ascertain. The ointment prepared from the seed is simply used for the destruction of vermin, and as a remedy in some cutaneous diseases, but if so employed when the skin is abraded, it may, and has produced most serious consequences. Its introduction into the British Pharmacopoeia is still further to be regretted, from the fact of its being employed, and, accord- ing to Pereira, extensively so, to give bitterness and intoxicating property to some malt liquors, although its use for such a purpose is forbidden in this country, and attempted to be restrained by heavy penalties. The fruit is de- scribed in the Pharmacopoeia as slightly ovate; it would have been more distinc- tive to have said soineichal kidney-shaped. CoLCiiici Semen.—AVe notice this article of thO' Materia simply for the