QUASSIA. 529 



Quassia. Quassia. 



Synonym. — Quassise lignum, B.P. ; quassia wood, bitter 

 wood, bitter ash, E. ; quassie, bois amer, Fr. ; quaissien- 

 holz, G. 



The wood of Picroena Excelsa (Swartz) Lindley (nat. 

 ord. Simarubese). 



Habitat— J amsiica. and West Indies. 



Description. — In billets of various sizes, dense, tough, of 

 medium hardness, porous, with a minute pith and narrow 

 medullary ] ays ; inodorous and intensely bitter. In the shops 

 it is usually met with in the form of chips or raspings of a 

 yellowish-white color. 



Constituents. — Chiefly, quassiin (C10H12O5), a bitter, neutral 

 principle occurring in crystalline rectangular plp,tes. There 

 is also a volatile oil, but no tannin. 



i>ose.— Quassiin, D., gr.f | (.008-.02). 



PREPARATIONS. 



. Extractum QuassicB, Extract of Quassia. (U. S. & B. P.) 

 Made by j)ercolation with water, boiling and evaporation to pilular 

 consistence. 



Dose.— H., 3 i.-ii. (4.-8.) ; D., gr.ss.-iii. (.03-.18). 



Extractum Quassice Fluidum. Fluid Extract of Quassia. (U. S. P.) 

 Made by maceration and percolation with alcohol and water, and 

 evaporation, so that 1 Cc. = 1 Gm. of quassia. 



Dose.—R. & C, §i.-ii. (30.-60.); Sh. «fe Sw., 3 ii.-iv. (8.-15.); D., 

 Tiixv.-3i. (1.4.). 



Tinctura Quassice. Tincture of Quassia. (U. S. & B. P. ) 

 Made by maceration and percolation of quassia, 100 ; with alcohol 

 and water to make 1000. (U. S. P.) 

 Dose. — Twice that of fluid extract 



Administration. — Quassia may be given to horses in the 

 official preparations, — preferably the fluid extract, — or in 

 infusion (1-80, in cold water for half an hour, B.P.). The 

 dose of the infusion is § iv. for horses; 3 ii.-iv. for dogs. 



Actions. — Quassia is the most active and bitter stomachic 

 we possess. Large doses irritate the digestive tract. The 



