86 



FILICES 



adhering brownish-black outer layers, fracture short, pale green in 

 the inner half, the texture rather spongy and exhibiting from 6 to 

 1 2 fibrovascular bundles in a loose and interrupted circle ; it generally 

 comes into market broken into pieces of various lengths; inter- 

 nally pale green, spongy or corky; odor slight and disagreeable; taste 

 sweetish, somewhat bitter and astringent, acrid and nauseous. Only 

 such portions as are still green should be used in making prepara- 

 tions. The deterioration of the root is rapid loses its activity in 

 one or two years. 



MICROSCOPICAL STRUCTURE. The prevailing tissue is parenchyma, the 

 polyhedral, porous-walled cells of which contain starch, greenish or 

 brownish tannin-like substances, and drops of a 

 greenish fixed oil. The thin subserous outer layer 

 consists of smaller brown cells. Toward the cen- 

 ter of the rhizome is an irregular circle of ten (A . 

 filixmas) or six (A. marginalis) vascular bundles, 

 outside of which are smaller scattered bundles. 

 Distributed throughout the tissue are large air 

 pores. 



Powder. Microscopical elements of: See Part iv, Chap. I, B. 



FIG. 10. Aspidium 

 rhizome. (W natural 

 size.) A, Leaf-stalk. 

 (Photograph.) 



CONSTITUENTS. Filicic acid, C^H^On, filicin (filicic 

 acid anhydrid, CssH^oO^), aspidin, C 2 3H 2 7O7, the 

 latter being poisonous, fixed oil, a trace of vola- 

 tile oil, and chlorophyll. Ash 3 per cent. 



Preparation of Filicic Acid. f This principle is deposited as 

 a granular sediment when the oleoresin is allowed to stand. 



ACTION AND USES. Taeniafuge. Dose: ^ to 2 dr. 

 (2 to 8 Gm.). Theoleo resin is the most efficient 

 preparation. 



OFFICIAL PREPARATION. 



Oleoresina Aspidii, ....... Dose: ^ to i fl. dr. (2 to 4 mils). 



13. ADIANTUM. MAIDENHAIR. Adian'tum peda'tum Linn6, an indigenous 



fern which has been used as a pectoral in chronic catarrh and other affections 

 of the air-passages. 



14. CIBOTIUM. PENGHAWAR. PAKU-KIDANG. The chaffy hairs collected 

 from the base of the fronds and stems of many varieties of ferns, especially of 

 the genus Cibotium, growing in Sumatra and Java. Long, silky, yellowish 

 or brownish, curling filaments (under the microscope flat and jointed), used 

 to stop the flow of blood from capillaries by mechanical absorption of the 

 serum. 



15. POLYPODIUM. POLYPODY. The leaves of Polypo'dium vulga're Linne 1 , 



common in Europe and North America. Expectorant in chronic catarrh 

 and asthma. Dose: I dr. (4 Gm.), in infusion. 



16. OSMUNDA REGALIS LinnS (order Osmundaceae) . BUCKTHORN BRAKE. 

 A common fern in swamps, the root-stock of which is used as a demulcent, 

 tonic, and styptic. Dose of fl'ext.: I to 3 fl. dr. (4 to 12 mils). 



