NUX VOMICA 221 



clear and bright, somewhat unctuous to the touch, but 

 not tenacious so as to stick to the fingers. 



"This drug is subject to a variety of frauds; it is 

 mixed with hard shining yellow pieces of a gum which 

 resembles gum arabic, and is void of smell or taste. 

 Pieces of bdellium are mixed with it, and are known by 

 their darker colour, and their being soft within, which 

 myrrh never is, also by their different smell and taste. 

 Sometimes an unctuous gummy resin, of a moderately 

 strong, somewhat ungrateful smell, and a bitterish, 

 very durable taste, obviously different both from those 

 of bdellium and myrrh. Also pieces of a hard, compact, 

 dark colored kind of tears, less unctuous than myrrh, 

 of an offensive smell, a most ungrateful bitterness, and 

 of a very resinous nature." 



NUX VOMICA 



Official in each edition of U. S. P., from 1820, following. 



This drug is the fruit of a tree, Strychnos Nux-vomica, 

 indigenous to most parts of India, especially the coast 

 districts, and is thought to have been introduced into 

 medicine by the Arabians. The natives of India did 

 not, however, value it, probably because of its exceed- 

 ingly energetic nature. Although the Hindoos of the 

 present tune employ it extensively, it is probable that 

 they were not acquainted with it before its introduc- 

 tion into Germany, in the 16th century. Its Euro- 

 pean employment was originally as a drug-shop poison, 

 for the purpose of killing animals and destructive 

 birds, such as crows; it was not until after the days 

 of Parkinson (492), 1640, that its employment in 

 medicine began. As usual in those days, enormous 



