COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE. 
gum, starch, inulin in great abundance, and liguin. Vinegar 
and wine are the best menstrua for extracting the active quali- 
ties of the bulb. A deposit forms in the wine, which is ex- 
tremely acrid, exciting nausea and griping, and ought to be 
removed, as its removal does not alter the virtues of the medi- 
cine. The seeds contain veratria, and yield it up to wine, 
vinegar, and alcohol. 
Co.cnicum AuTUMNALE possesses diuretic, purgative, and nar- 
cotic properties. It is the hermodactylon of the ancients, In 
Europe, where it was recommended to notice by Baron Stoerck, 
it is a favorite remedy in dropsy, particularly hydrothorax, and 
in humoral asthma. But as it does not differ in its mode of 
action from squill, and is more uncertain in its operation, it has 
not been much used in that complaint in this country. In gout 
and rheumatism, however, its efficacy has been: fully ascer- 
tained, and in allaying the pain it may be almost said to possess 
a specific property. It operates on the bowels chiefly, stimu- 
lating the orifice of the common gall duct in duodenum, so as 
to produce copious bilious evacuations; and acting on the 
nerves, it diminishes the action of the arterial system. The 
petals of the flower and the seed, possess the same medicinal 
properties as the bulb. In the seed the veratria exists in the 
testa or husk, and, consequently, the seeds should not be 
bruised in preparing the wine or tincture with them. 
The dose, in substance, is from two to eight grains, which 
may be repeated every four or six hours, till the effects of the 
medicine are obtained. The medicine, however, is generally 
given in the state of vinous tincture, : 
To effectually preserve the virtuesof the plant, MeEapow-saFFRON, 
the bulb, as soon as possible after it is dug up, should be 
cut into transverse slices on clean white paper, distinct from 
one another, without heat, or at a very low temperature. The 
test of the drug being good and properly dried, is the appear- 
ance of the blue color on rubbing it with a little distilled 
Vinegar, and the alcoholic solution of guaiacum. The slices 
also should not appear deeply notched or panduriform, as this is 
the mark of the bulb having begun to empty itself for the 
nourishment of the young bulbs, and, consequently, to suffer in 
_ its medicinal powers from the chemical change which, at this 
_ period, its contents must necessarily undergo for the nourish- 
tment of the offsets, It should be preserved in slices in well- 
