STAVESACRE 221 



Constituents. Two crystalline principles soluble in chloroform; 

 a colorless crystalline substance soluble in ether; a crystalline prin- 

 ciple soluble in water; a trace of an alkaloid and several organic 

 acids; considerable starch and a tannin-like principle giving a green 

 color with ferric salts, thus distinguishing the drug from the rhizome 

 of Helleborus niger; ash not exceeding 10 per cent. 



Literature. Holm, Merck's Report, 1908, p. 263; Bastin, 

 Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1895, p. 121. 



STAPHISAGRIA. Stavesacre. The ripe seed of Delphinium 

 Staphisagria (Fam. Ranunculacese), an annual or biennial native of 

 southern Europe and Asia Minor, and cultivated in Austria (Trieste), 

 Italy and southern France, from which latter countries the com- 

 mercial supplies are obtained. 



Description. Anatropous, irregularly triangular or somewhat 

 tetrahedral, one side convex, the others plane, the micropylar end 

 acute or obtuse, 5 to 6 mm. in length, 3 to 6 mm. in breadth; exter- 

 nally dark brown, becoming lighter and duller with age, more or 

 less uniformly reticulate, the pits being about 0.5 mm. in diameter, 

 raphe forming a more or less distinct ridge on the largest of the plane 

 surfaces or on the edge of two united sides, epidermis modified to 

 distinct papillae, inner seed-coat yellowish-brown, adhering to the 

 endosperm when moistened, the latter white or yellowish, and enclos- 

 ing at the pointed end a small, straight embryo 1 mm. in length and 

 with a relatively large hypocotyl; slightly odorous; taste of endo- 

 sperm intensely bitter and acrid. 



Inner Structure. An epidermal layer of yellowish, nearly tabular, 

 thick-walled, non-lignified cells, some being extended centrifugally, 

 and forming the reticulations of the seed-coat; 2 or 3 rows of paren- 

 chyma cells with more or less irregular thin walls; a thin layer of 

 very small, thick-walled cells with numerous, lattice-like or reticulate 

 pores; endosperm large, composed of polygonal cells enclosing small 

 aleurone grains and fixed oil, the latter forming in large globules 

 on the. addition of solutions of hydrated chloral, the alkalies or 

 sulphuric acid. 



Powder. Grayish-brown or light brown; stone cells of outer 

 epidermis radially elongated, with thick walls and simple pores as 

 described above; a layer of pigment cells; fixed oil, and aleurone 

 grains. 



Constituents. Two alkaloids, about 1 per cent. These are 

 delphinine, which crystallizes in rhombic prisms and resemble 

 aconitine in its physiological action; and staphisagroine, which is 

 amorphous and insoluble in chloroform. The alkaloids delphisine 



