STAPHISAGRIA 169 



142. Ranunculus. CROWFOOT. BUTTER CUP. The herb of Ranun'culus bulbo'- 

 sus Linne'. Habitat: Europe and North America. Base of stem thick; 

 flowers yellow, the ovaries of which form akenes with a short, curved beak; 

 inodorous, with acrid taste. Used externally as an irritant. 



143. STAPHISAGRIA. STAPHISAGRIA 



STAVESACRE 

 The ripe seed of Delphin'ium staphisag'ria Linne\ 



BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem 3 to 4 feet high, erect, more or less colored 

 purple; leaves long petiolate, alternate, palmately 5~9-divided, blotched with 

 purple ; flowers in loose spoke-like racemes, varying from light-blue to purple; 

 irregular; sepals 5, petaloid, upper one prolonged into a spur; petals 4, small; 

 fruit 3, hairy follicles. 



SOURCE. This herb is a native of Italy, Greece, the Greek Islands, Asia 

 Minor, Mediterranean regions, and Canary Islands. It was intro- 

 duced into England in 1596. 



DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. About 5 mm. (^ in.) long, 3 to 4 mm. (% to 

 ^ in.) thick; externally flattish, tetrahedral, the broadest side convex; 

 testa brownish, with reticulate ridges, rough and deeply pitted; in- 

 ternally it contains a whitish, oily albumen, inclosing a small, straight 

 embryo in its sharper end. The outer layer of the testa is made up 

 of thin-walled, narrow cells, which become larger near the edges of 

 the seed and in the superficial wrinkles. They contain a small number 

 of minute starch granules. The interior layer exhibits a single layer 

 of small, densely-packed cells. The albumen is composed of the 

 usual tissue loaded with granules of albuminoid matter and drops 

 of fatty oil. Nearly inodorous; taste bitter and astringent. Dose 

 i gr. (0.06 Gm.). 



Powder. Dark greenish. Characteristic elements: The angular cells of the 

 parenchyma of the endosperm with aleurone and oil globules; very large epidermal 

 cells, brown, thick-walled, with irregular thickenings. 



CONSTITUENTS. Besides fixed oil, etc., one of the most prominent con- 

 stituents is a poisonous alkaloid, delphinine, which exists in the 

 form of a malate. This alkaloid, however, is said to be composed 

 of several distinct principles. Marquis has separated four dis- 

 tinct alkaloids from the seed. 



Preparation of Delphinine. Treat the decoction with magnesia, exhaust the 

 precipitate with alcohol, and evaporate. The crude alkaloid thus obtained 

 consists of three distinct principles resin, staphisagrine, and delphinine. Pure 

 delphinine is soluble in alcohol and ether. 



ACTION AND USES. Stavesacre is mostly used as a parasiticide to destroy 

 vermin, especially against pediculi vestimentorum inhabiting the 

 garments next to the skin. A tincture in cologne spirit has been used 



