3-3 
Ranunculus is among the articles dropped from the U. S. Ph. at the last 
revision. | 
PART USED AND PREPARATION.—The fresh herb, gathered when in fruit, 
but still green and untouched by frost, is chopped and pounded to a pulp and 
weighed. Then two parts by weight of alcohol are taken, the pulp thoroughly 
mixed with one-sixth part of it, and the rest of the alcohol added. After having 
stirred the whole well, it is poured into a well-stoppered bottle, and allowed to 
stand eight days in a dark, cool place. The tincture is then separated by straining 
and filtering. Thus prepared it has a clear reddish-orange color by transmitted 
light; an acrid odor and taste; and an acid reaction. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS.—We consider here the genus as a whole, 
taking this species as a chemical type. 
Anemonol, or Oz/ of Ranunculus —Mr. O. L. Erdmann* found this to be the 
acrid principle of this species, and extracted it as a golden-yellow volatile body, 
decomposing by age into anemonin and anemonic acid, both of which are as 
described on pages 1-2 and 1-3, and 
Anemoninic Acid.—When boiled with an excess of baryta water, anemonin 
decomposes, forming, among other bodies, red flakes of anemoninate of barium 
(Liwig and Weidman). Prof. Frehling, who afterward examined into the subject, 
says, “this acid cannot be formed from anemonin by simply assumption with 
water.” + 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION.—According to Basiner,{ the oil of Ranunculus 
acts, in warm-blooded animals, as an acrid narcotic, producing, in small doses, 
stupor and slow respiration; in larger doses, also, paralysis of the posterior and 
anterior extremities, and, before death, convulsions of the whole body. The acrid 
action is shown by a corrosive gastritis and by hyperzemia of the kidneys, more 
particularly their cortical substance. Anemonin causes similar symptoms, but is 
followed by no convulsions, nor does it irritate sufficiently to corrode the organs, 
as in the oil. : 
Krapf states$ that a small portion of a leaf or flower of #. sceleratus, or two 
drops of the juice, excited acute pain in the stomach, and a sense of inflammation 
of the throat; when he chewed the most succulent leaves, the salivary glands were 
strongly stimulated; his tongue was exéoriated and cracked; his teeth smarted, 
and his cornea became tender and bloody.|| | 
A man, at Bevay, France, swallowed a glassful of the juice, which had been 
_ kept for some time; he was seized in four hours with violent colic and vomiting, 
and died the second day.§] 
* Am. Four. Phar., 1859, P- 449- 
+ Drugs and Med. of N. A., i, 68. 
t Die Vergift mit Ranunkelot, Anemonin, 
3 Exp. de Nonnull. Ranun. Ven. Qual. 
\| Orfila, Tox. Gen., i, 754- 
9 Four. de Chim. Méd., 1836, 273. 
ete., in Am. Four. Phar., 1882, 130. 
