COCCULUS PALMATUS, 
muriate of mercury, and tartarized antimony, but a copious pre- 
cipitate is produced by the infusion of galls, and yellow cinchona 
bark, by asctate and superacetate of lead, oxymuriate of mercury 
and lime-water. Hence Columba root was erroneously supposed 
to contain cinchonia. M. Planche found it to contain a large 
proportion of a peculiar animal substance; a yellow, bitter, 
resinous matter, and one-third of its weight of starch. By re- 
peated distillation, he also obtained a volatile oil, and from the 
residue malate of lime, and sulphate of lime. By treating 
columba root with alcohol of 0.835, then reducing the tincture 
by distillation to one-third, allowing the residue to stand until 
erystals form in it, and afterwards purifying these, Mr. Wittstock 
of Berlin procured a new salt, to which he gave the name of 
columbtna, and which he supposes to be the active principle of 
columba root. It is inodorous, extremely bitter, neither acid 
nor alkaline, and scarcely soluble in water or in alcohol. The 
acetic acid is its proper menstruum. 
Columba root is a useful antisceptic and tonic. It is frequently 
employed with much advantage in diarrheeas arising from a 
redundant secretion of bile and in bilious remittent fever, and 
cholera, in which it generally checks the vomiting. It also 
allays the nausea and vomiting which accompany pregnancy, 
and according to Percival, it is equally servicable in stopping the 
severe diarrhoea and vomiting which sometimes attend dentition. 
Denman found it more usefal than cinchona ia the low stage of 
puerperal fever. As a tonic, unaccompanied with astringency, 
and possessing little stimulus, it has been recommended in 
phthisis and hectic fever, to allay irritability and strengthen the 
digestive organs, and in dyspepsia. It may be given combined 
with aromatics, orange-peel, opiates and alkaline or neutral salts 
as circumstances may indicate or require. The powder in com- 
bination wiih rhubarb and sulphate of potassa is found exceed- 
ingly serviceable in mesenteric fever. An ointment made with 
the powder has been used in tinea capitis, and to destroy 
vermin in the hair. Rubbed up with lard in the proportion of ten 
grains to the ounce, it ee cures tinea capitis in less than a 
month 
_ It is given in powder, or in infusion or tincture. When boiled 
_ in water the starch is dissolved, and a turbid thick solution is 
_ ‘produced, a decoction is therefore objectionable, ‘The dose of the 
powdered root is from fifteen grains to half a eto, repose 2 
three or gees cae oe ee 
