TUllPENTINE. 73 



Meadow Saffron. — (Colchicum, U. S.) 



Bulb of the Colchicimi autnmnale, a native of Europe, grows 

 about 6 or 7 inches high. Bulb about the size of a chestnut, covered 

 with a brownish membrane; internally, solid, white, and fleshy. It 

 should be gathered in July or August. Sometimes the bulb is 

 dried whole, but generally it is cut into transverse slices about an 

 eighth of an inch thick, whitish, inodorous, of a bitter and acrid taste. 

 The pieces should each have a notch on one side. Apt to be spoiled 

 in keeping; hence very uncertain, as found in the shops. The seeds 

 are small, of a reddish-brown colour and of a bitter acrid taste ; the 

 virtues reside in the outer coating. The seeds contain all the virtues 

 of the bulb, and are less apt to be injured by keeping. It contains 

 a peculiar alkaline crystalline principle, called colchicine not iden- 

 tical with veratria, as was at one time supposed. The virtues are 

 best imparted to wine and vinegar. 



Effects. — Stimulant to most of the secretions ; rather reduces the 

 action of the heart and arteries ; seems also to influence the nervous 

 system. In very large doses it is irritant to the stomach and bowels. 

 It. is chiefly used in gout and rheumatism, in which it may be com- 

 bined with saline cathartics and antacids. Scudmnore's Mixture 

 consists of a draught containing 15 to 20,grs. magnesia, 3j to 3ij 

 sulph. magnesia, and f3j to f 3ij vinegar of colchicum. Dose of 

 the bulb or seeds, 2 to 8 grs., — rarely used. 



Vinu?7i Colchici radicis^ U. S. — Contains half a pound of the 

 bruised bulb in a pint of wine ; colour, dark reddish brown ; dose, 

 30 drops up to f 3j., gradually increased. 



Vimim Colchici Seminis, U. S. — Is made by macerating 3ij. 

 bruised seeds in a pint of wine for 14 days ; dose, the same. 



Acetuni Colchici^ U. S. — Vinegar of Colchicum^ — made by ma- 

 cerating the bulb in vinegar, then adding alcohol. 



The white hellebore of Europe, Veratrum album, and the green 

 hellebore of the U. S., Veratrum viride, are analogous in their pro- 

 perties to colchicum. Both depend for their activity upon a power- 

 ful alkaline principle called veratria. Veratria is occasionally em- 

 ployed externally in the form of ointment, in cases of neuralgia. It 

 is a violent acrid poison ; even its external application is attended 

 with a burning tingling sensation. 



The ointment is made by rubbing up 10 or 20 grs. with an ounce 

 of lard. The dose of veratria is the twelfth to the sixth of a grain. 



TURPEIN^INE. (TeREBINTHINA, U. S.) 



Juice of different species of the Pinus^ Abies and Larix. Many 

 varieties of turpentine are known in commerce, but only two are 

 used in the United States. 



1 . White Turpentine, — Terebinthina. — Derived chiefly from the 



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