Part 53

CONSTITUENTS.--Taraxacin, a bitter, soluble, crystalline substance; inulin, taraxacerin, resin causing milky juice, asparagin of no medical value.

DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 1 to 2 oz.; sheep and pigs, 2 to 4 dr.; dogs, 1 to 2 dr.

PREPARATIONS

EXTRACTUM TARAXACI--EXTRACT OF TARAXACUM

Made by percolation of powdered taraxacum with alcohol and water, and evaporation.

DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 1 to 4 dr.; sheep and pigs, 30 gr. to 1 dr.; dogs, 5 to 20 gr.

FLUIDEXTRACTUM TARAXACI--FLUIDEXTRACT OF TARAXACUM

Made by maceration and percolation with dilute alcohol, and evaporation.

DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 1 to 2 oz.; sheep and pigs, 2 to 4 dr.; dogs, 1 to 2 dr.

ACTION AND USES.--Taraxacum is a simple stomachic and bitter and may be employed in place of gentian or calumba. It has been generally taught that taraxacum is a hepatic stimulant and increases the secretion of bile. This has been proven valueless. The extract is often used as a base in preparing masses.

ZINGIBER--GINGER

The scraped and dried rhizome of Zingiber officinale.

HABITAT.--East and West Indies and India; cultivated in tropical climates.

PROPERTIES.--Ginger owes its taste to a pungent resin, its aroma to a volatile oil, and its medicinal and flavoring properties to both constituents, which are chiefly found in the delicate felted layer lying between the starchy, mealy parenchyma and the brown, horny, external covering.

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

PREPARATIONS

FLUIDEXTRACTUM ZINGIBERIS--FLUIDEXTRACT OF GINGER

Made by maceration and percolation with alcohol, and evaporated so that 1 c. c. equals 1 gm. of the crude drug.

DOSE.--Same as for ginger.

TINCTURE ZINGIBERIS--TINCTURE OF GINGER

Made by percolation of ginger with alcohol and water.

DOSE.--Horses, ¹⁄₂ to 2 oz.; cattle, 1 to 4 oz.; sheep, 2 dr. to 1 oz.; pigs, 1 to 2 dr.; dogs, 15 to 30 m.

OLEORESINA ZINGIBERIS--OLEORESIN OF GINGER

DOSE.--Horses, 30 m. to 1¹⁄₂ dr.; dogs, 1 to 5 m.

ACTION AND USES.--Ginger is an aromatic stimulant, and is used as a stomachic and carminative for all animals, notably for cattle and sheep. Ginger is administered internally, promotes gastric secretion, digestion and appetite. It is prescribed in atonic dyspepsia, often along with antacids and laxatives. Conjoined with purgatives it diminishes their tendency to nauseate and gripe, and also somewhat hastens their effects. The powder or fluidextract should be added to magnesium and sodium sulphate when given in full purgative doses to cattle or sheep.

ZINCI PHENOLSULPHONAS--ZINC SULPHOCARBOLATE

DERIVATION.--Zinc sulphocarbolate may be obtained by heating a mixture of phenol and sulphuric acid and saturating the product with zinc oxide.

PROPERTIES.--Colorless, transparent, rhombic prisms or tabular crystals; odorless and having an astringent, metallic taste. Soluble in water and alcohol.