196 LAURACE.E 



ciple obtained commercially from oil of camphor, phellandrene, 

 CioHie, eugenol, Ci Hi 2 2 , etc. Generally used as a flavor. Dose: 

 i to 5 ITU (0-065 to 0.3 mil). The oil is sometimes adulterated with the 

 artificial oil and a camphor oil fraction. Virginia is said to be the 

 chief producer of oil of sassafras. 



171. SASSAFRAS LIGNUM (Unofficial). SASSAFRAS WOOD. The wood of 

 the root, coming in billets, partially or wholly deprived of bark, or in rasp- 

 ings or chips; pale brownish or reddish in color, light and easily cut; medullary 

 rays narrow; odor and taste like the bark, but weaker, there being a smaller 

 proportion of volatile oil. It is used like the bark. 



172. SASSAFRAS MEDULLA, N.F. SASSAFRAS PITH 

 The dried pith of Sassafras variifolium O. Kuntze. 



DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. Thin, cylindrical, white pieces, very light and spongy; 

 inodorous; taste insipid and mucilaginous. The tissue is entirely composed 

 of parenchyma. It contains a mucilage (not precipitated by alcohol or lead 

 subacetate) which forms a limpid, ropy, viscid solution with water, but not 

 sufficiently tenacious to hold insoluble substances in suspension. Demulcent, 

 often used as an application to inflamed eyes. 



PREPARATION. 



Mucilago Sassafras Medullae (2 per cent.). 



173. NECTANDRA. BEBEERU BARK. GREENHEART BARK. From Nectan'dra 

 ro'diaei Schomburgk. Habitat: South America. Large, flat, heavy pieces, 

 from 250 to 300 mm. (10 to 12 in.) long, 50 to 150 mm. (2 to 6 in.) broad; 

 usually deprived of the cork, leaving longitudinal depressions in the grayish- 

 brown outer surface similar to the digital furrows of flat calisaya bark; inter- 

 nally pale brown, roughly striate. Its structure is chiefly short liber cells 

 filled with secondary deposit, causing it to break with a short fracture. Inodor- 

 ous; intensely bitter, somewhat astringent. It contains tannin, beberine 

 (identical with buxine and pelosine), and sipirine. 



ACTION AND USES. Tonic, astringent, and febrifuge, introduced as a 

 substitute for cinchona as an antiperiodic, but much inferior. Dose: 15 to 

 60 gr. (i to 4 Gm.), commonly used in the form of beberine sulphate. 



174. GOTO. GOTO BARK. Origin undetermined. Habitat: Bolivia. Very large, 

 flat pieces, about 5 to 15 mm. (J^ to % in.) thick, usually deprived of cork; 

 the outer surface cinnamon-brown, rough, having the appearance of having 

 been shaved or split off; inner surface darker brown, rough from numerous 

 close ridges of longitudinally projecting bark fiber; a fresh cross-section 

 shows numerous small, yellowish spots (groups of stone cells). Odor aromatic, 

 cinnamon-like, stronger when bruised; taste hot, bitter. 



PARACOTO BARK, N.F. Which occasionally enters our market from 

 Bolivia, very much resembles the above, but is marked with whitish fissures, 

 and has a fainter, somewhat nutmeg-like odor. 



CONSTITUENTS. Cotoin, in true coto bark, paracotoin in the other; both 

 barks contain volatile oil, resin, and piperonylic acid. They have estab- 

 lished quite a reputation in diarrhoea. Dose: 5 to 10 gr. (0.3 to 0.6 Gm.). 



175. LINDERA BENZOIN Meissner. SPICE BUSH. (Bark, berries, and leaves.) 

 Aromatic stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic. The berries have been used 

 as a substitute for allspice. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (i to 4 Gm.). 



176. LAURUS. LAUREL. SWEET BAY. The leaves of Lau'rus nobi'lis Linne". 

 Oval-oblong, about 50 to 100 mm. (2 to 4 in.) long, brownish, pellucid-punctate; 

 margin entire, wavy; taste aromatic, bitter, somewhat astringent; odor 

 fragrant, due to a volatile oil. The chief constituent, however, is a fixed 

 oil (see below) present to the extent of about 30 per cent. Stimulant and 

 astringent, quite popular as an astringent injection. 



