BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 177 
the flowering season the plant has a strong, dis- 
agreeable odor, which is said to be very preju- 
dicial to health. The leaves when dry have a 
strong narcotic odor, and a disagreeable, bitter 
taste; they contain resin, gum, extractive mat- 
ter, albumen, volatile oil, and contine, paraco- 
niine and conic acid. The oilis usually obtained 
from the seed, and will be spoken of further on. 
Coniine is an oily, colorless liquid that appears 
to contain two alkaloids, conhydrine and methyl- 
coniine, the first-named alkaloid being capable 
of crystallization; the true alkaloid is termed 
conydrine, which is capable of crystallization. 
Conium and its preparations have been used 
from the remotest time as a sopforific, anodyne, 
antt-spasmodic, narcotic and sedative, and they 
are given in form of TINCTURE, EXTRACT and 
FLUID EXTRACT. Dose of the tincture, 5 to 10 
drops; of the fluid extract, 2 to 10 drops; of the 
solid extract, from % to1grain, The alcoholic 
fluid extract and abstract are officinal, and are 
made from the fruit of the conium, as they are 
considered more uniform in strength, whilst a 
poultice made from the leaves is recognized by . 
the U.S. P. Name is derived from the Greek — 
word sonezon, the name of the plant, and, accord- 
ing to Hooker, onos, a top, so named, he thinks, 
because the conium produces vertigo. It is as- 
serted that this was the poison taken by Socra- 
tes, the philosopher. 
Digatalis, Digitalis, Digatalis Pupurea, Fox- 
glove.—Natural order Scrophulariacee. This 
biennial plant is a native of Europe and natu- 
ralized in the United States. It attains a height 
of 1 to 4 feet, adorned with alternate ovate, 
