432 YEGETABLE DKUGS 



white; odor peculiar, pleasant; taste sweetish, bitter and 

 somewhat acrid. 



Constituents. — Two glucosides ; (1) Convallamarin (C^gH^ 

 O34), the active principle. A white powder, having a sweet, 

 bitter taste, and soluble in water and alcohol. (2) Conval- 

 larin (Cg^HsiOu), occurring in prismatic crystals, soluble in 

 alcohol, sparingly in water, and insoluble in ether. A 

 purgative. 



PREPARATION. 



Extractum Convallarnce Fluidum. Fluid Extract of Convallaria. 



(U. S. P.) 

 Made by maceration and percolation with diluted alcohol, and 

 evaporation, so that 1 Cc. = 1 Gm. of the crude drug. 

 Dose.—U. & C, 3 i-iv. (4.-15.) ; D., mv.-x. (.3-6). 



Action and Uses Internal. — ^^ Convallaria, by virtue of 

 convallamarin, resembles digitalis in its action on the heart, 

 vessels and kidneys, but is not so reliable and powerful. 

 The indications for its use are the same as those for digitalis. 

 In some cases it is successful where the latter drug has 

 failed. Occasionally purging has resulted owing to the con- 

 vallarin in convallaria. The fatal dose of convallamarin is 

 stated by Marme to be gr. | to J, (.015-.03) for dogs, and yet 

 the dose recommended in veterinary text books is gr. ^ to 2 

 (.03-.12). The glucoside is not a pure principle and there- 

 fore varies in strength. For this reason the dose is uncertain 

 and its use undesirable. 



SciLLA. Squill. (U. S. &B. P.) 



Synonym. — Squills, E. ; meerzwiebel, G. ; scille, squille, 

 Fr.; bulbus scillse, P. G. 



The bulb of Urginea maritima (Linne) Baker (nat. ord. 

 Liliacese), deprived of its dry, membranaceous outer scales, 

 and cut into thin slices, the central portions being rejected. 



Habitat. — Southern Europe, on the shores of the Medi- 

 terranean. 



