28 MENISPERMACE^. 



fibrous substance. 



marked 



The drug has no particular odour. Its aqueous decoction is turned 

 inky bluish-black hy tincture of iodine. 



The aerial stems especially differ hy enclosing a small but well- 

 defined pith. 



Microscopic Structure — The most interesting character consists 

 in the arrangement rather than in the peculiarity of the tissues com- 

 posing this drug. The wavy light-coloured lines already mentioned 

 are built up partly of sclerenchymatous cells. The other portions of 

 the parenchyme are loaded with large starch granules, which are much 

 less abundant in the stem. 



Chemical Composition — From the examination of this drug made 

 by one of us in 1869/ it was shown that the bitter principle is the 

 same as that discovered in 1839 by Wiggers in the drug hereafter 

 described as Common False Pareira Brava, and named by him Pelosine. 

 It was further pointed out that this body possesses the chemical pro- 

 perties of the Bihirine of Greenhoart bark and of the Buxine obtained 



from the bark of Buxus sem^pervirens L. It was also obtained 

 on the same occasion (1869) from the stems and roots of Cissampelos 

 Pareira L. collected in Jamaica ; but from both drugs in the very small 

 proportion of about i per cent. 



Whether to Buxine (for by this name rather than Pelosine it should 

 be designated) is due the medicinal power of the drug may well be 

 doubted. No further chemical examination of true Pareira Brava has 

 been made. 



Uses — The medicine is prescribed in chronic catarrhal affections of 

 the bladder and in calculus. From its extensive use in BraziP it seems 

 deserving of trial in other compl'aints. Helvetius used to give it_ m 

 substance, which in 5-grain doses was taken in infusion made with 

 boiling water from the powdered root and not strained. 



Substitutes— We have already pointed out how the name Pareira 

 Brava has been applied to several other drugs than that described in 

 the foregoing pages. We shall now briefly notice the more important. 



Stems and roots of Cissamijelos P 



„ „^ ^._^...^.^.^„ ^ .rmmL.— Owing to the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining good Pareira Brava in the London market, although 

 this plant is very widely diffused over all the tropical regions of both 

 hemispheres, the firm of which one of us w-as formerly a member 

 (Messrs. Allen and Hanburys, Plough Court, Lombard Street) caused to 

 be collected in Jamaica, tinder the superintendence of Mr. N. Wilson, 

 of the Bath Botanical Gardens, the stems and root of Cissampdos 

 Pareira L., of which it imported in 18GG-C7-6S about 300 lb. It was 

 found impracticable to obtain the root per se ; and the greater bulk ol 

 the drug consisted of long cylindrical stems,' many of which had been 

 decumbent and had thrown out rootlets at the joints. They had very 



^NeuesJahrh. f. Phami. xxxi. (1869) plsias, e suspensao de lochios."-T^3"g 



257 ; Pharm. Journ. xi. (1870) 192. gaard, Diccionario de Medicina domestica ' 



2 " Presentamente [Abutua] ^ reputaJa popular, Rio de Janeiro, i. (1865) IT- 



tliaphoretica,diureticaeemeuagoga,eusada 3 Figured, together with the plant, " 



interiormente na ddse de duaa a quatro Bentley and Trimeu, Jledic. Plants, par* 



e 



luna 

 mento, na-s fehres interniittentea. hvdro- 



9 (1876), 



