Part 37

DOSES.--When repeated two or three times as a laxative and alterative horses take 2 to 4 ounces, cattle 3 to 6 ounces, sheep and pigs, 1 to 2 drachms. As a cathartic cattle take 1 to 2 pounds, calves two to three months old 3 to 4 ounces, sheep 4 to 6 ounces, dogs 1 to 4 drachms. Aloes is a much better cathartic for horses, and castor or linseed oil acts much better as a cathartic in pigs.

NAPHTHALENUM--NAPHTHALENE

A by-product of gas manufacture.

PROPERTIES.--Colorless, shining rhombic crystals of an aromatic acrid taste, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol, ether and oils.

DOSE.--Horses, 1 to 3 dr.; cattle, 2 to 4 dr.; sheep and pigs, 5 to 15 gr.; dogs, 1 to 10 gr. These doses can be doubled in severe cases of intestinal flatulence.

ACTIONS AND USES.--A true intestinal antiseptic and antiferment, is also expectorant, antiseptic and parasiticide. Used in intestinal flatulence, dissolved in tincture capsicum; in diarrhoea and dysentery, is of great value in these ailments, quickly allays foul odor of the evacuations of the bowels; large doses irritate the kidneys and cause bloody urine which ceases upon withholding the drug. When powdered on a wound as wire cuts, etc., will keep away flies and other insects, besides it is a powerful antiseptic and promotes the healing of wounds. Used as an ointment it is very effective in parasitic skin diseases.

NUX VOMICA--QUAKER BUTTON

The dried ripe seeds of Strychnos nux vomica, yielding when assayed by the process given below, not less than 1.25 per cent of strychnine.

HABITAT.--The tree is a native of the East Indies, growing in Bengal, Malabar, on the Coromandel Coast, in Ceylon, in many islands of the Indian Archipelago, in Cochin-China and in other neighboring countries.

DESCRIPTION.--Orbicular, nearly flat, sometimes irregularly bent, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and two in thickness; externally grayish or greenish-gray, the surface covered with short closely oppressed, satiny hairs; rounded or somewhat acute at the margin, with a slight ridge extending from the center of one side to the edge; internally whitish-gray, horny, very tough, the endosperm in two more or less regular concavo-convex halves, between which, at one end, lie the heart-shaped, palmately nerved cotyledons; inodorous; taste intensely and persistently bitter.

CONSTITUENTS.--Two alkaloids. 1. Strychnine, 0.2-0.6 per cent. 2. Brucine, 0.5-1.0 per cent. Similar in action to strychnine, but weaker and slower. Both alkaloids exist in combination with igasuric acid. Brucine occurs in rectangular octohedral crystals; it is soluble in alcohol, in 7 parts of chloroform, and possesses a bitter taste. With sulphuric and nitric acids a beautiful blood-red color is developed. There are also: 4. Igasuric acid with which strychnine and brucine are combined. 5. Loganin, an inert glucoside occurring in colorless prisms.

DOSE.--Of the ground seeds, horses and cattle, 1 to 2 dr.; sheep, 20 to 40 gr.; pigs, 10 to 20 gr.; dogs, 1 to 2 gr.

PREPARATIONS

EXTRACTUM NUCIS VOMICAE--EXTRACT OF NUX VOMICA

Made by maceration with alcohol, water and acetic acid; percolation with alcohol and water and evaporation. Standardized to contain 5 per cent of strychnine.

DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 5 to 15 gr.; sheep, 2 to 5 gr.; pigs, 1 to 2 gr.; dogs, ¹⁄₈ to ¹⁄₄ gr.

FLUIDEXTRACTUM NUCIS VOMICAE--FLUIDEXTRACT OF NUX VOMICA

Made by digestion and percolation with alcohol and water and acetic acid. The alcohol is distilled off and the solution evaporated. Alcohol and water are added so that the fluid extract shall contain one per cent of strychnine.

DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 1 to 2 dr.; sheep, 20 to 30 m.; pigs, 10 to 20 m.; dogs, 1 to 2 m.

TINCTURA NUCIS VOMICAE--TINCTURE OF NUX VOMICA

Made by solution of the extract of nux vomica, 20 in alcohol, and water to make 1000. Standardized to contain 0.1 per cent strychnine.

STRYCHNINA--STRYCHNINE

An alkaloid obtained from nux vomica, and also obtainable from other plants of the natural order Loganiaceae.

DERIVATION.--Nux vomica seeds are powdered and strychnine is extracted with water acidulated with hydrochloric acid. The solution is concentrated and strychnine precipitated with lime. It is then redissolved in boiling alcohol and the crystals are deposited upon concentration of the solution.

PROPERTIES.--Colorless, transparent, prismatic crystals, or a white crystalline powder; odorless, having an intensely bitter taste, perceptible even in solutions of 1 in 700,000. Strychnine should be tasted with extreme caution. Permanent in the air, soluble in water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzine and amyl alcohol.

DOSE.--Same as strychnine sulphate.

STRYCHNINAE SULPHAS--STRYCHNINE SULPHATE

Made by the action of sulphuric acid on strychnine.