79-3 
“ feed” and it would certainly cure him. (He had been given, during the years he 
suffered, quinine, cinchonine, bark and all its known derivatives, as well as chola- 
gogues, and every other substance then known to the regular practitioner, without 
effect; the attacks coming on latterly twice a day.) On reaching home, with the 
aid of the fences and buildings along the way, he received a tablespoonful of a 
decoction of boneset evaporated until it was about the consistency of syrup, and 
immediately went to bed. He had hardly lain down when insensibility and stupor 
came on, passing into deep sleep. On awaking in the morning, he felt decidedly 
better, and from that moment improved rapidly without farther medication, gaining 
flesh and strength daily. No attack returned for twenty years, when a short one 
was brought on by lying down in a marsh while hunting. 
From my own experience, as well as what I have learned from others, | feel 
confident that as an “antiperiodic” this drug will be indicated much more fre- 
quently in the United States than quinine, and exhibit its peculiar action in a 
curative manner, not palliative as is most common in the latter substance when 
exhibited ex patria. 1 have observed that boneset acts more surely in intermittent 
fever, when the disease was contracted near its habitat, 7. ¢., by streams, ponds, and 
lakes in the United States east of the 85° west longitude, and north of the 32° 
north latitude. It may be stated that this is true of most plants used in medicine, 
and probably accounts for many failures of foreign drugs in domestic diseases: 
witness Conium, Cinchona, etc., etc.* 
The officinal preparation in the U.S. Ph., is Extractum Eupatorii Fluidum. 
In the Eclectic Materia Medica the following preparations are recommended ; 
Extractum Eupatori, [nfusum Eupatorii, and Pilule Aloes Composite. 
PART USED AND PREPARATION.—The whole fresh plant, gathered just 
as it is coming into flower, is prepared as in the preceding drug. The resulting 
in thin layers it exhibits a deep, slightly orange-brown color 
by transmitted light. It has a nauseous, penetrating, bitter, and astringent taste, 
and imparts a sensation to the tongue very similar to that of ginger; it retains the 
peculiar odor of the plant, and has an acid reaction. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS.— Eupatorine—This glucoside was extracted 
from a percolate of the dried tops and leaves of this plant by G. Latin ° it was also 
appreciated in most of the analyses referred to below, but was not isolated, being 
spoken of as a bitter principle only. Eupatorine is described asa slightly acid, 
amorphous body, soluble in alcohol and boiling water, yielding a red precipitate 
when boiled with sulphuric acid, and a white precipitate with the cold acid. Its 
farther physical and chemical properties are as yet undetermined. i 
Bitter extractive 1267 Tannin ;'** 456 Volatile oil;!4°* Free acid;* Gallic 
gr ; .23567 2157 4 r rinci le 234567 have also been 
acid;? Resin ;7°" Gum; Sugar ;’ and a bitter p ple, 
sane AS OTE 
tincture is opaque ; 
: % This refers only to drugs exhibited for their physiological or toxic action. 
i i 2 Anderson, Jnaug. Thess. 2 Peterson, Am. Jour. Phar., 1851, | 
1 Bigelow, Am. Med. Bot.,\s 35- : = . ney en do + Parsons, 1859, Rep. fo U. S. Com. of Agric 
«Bickley, bid, 185 en ee of Mat, Med. hi, N.S. 243 
