554 VEGETABLE DRUGS 



Class 2.— Drastic Purgatives. 



Oleum Tiglh. Croton Oil. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — Oleujn crotonis, B.P.; huile de croton, huile 

 de graines de tilly, Fr.; crotonol, G. 



A fixed oil expressed from the seed of Croton Tiglium 

 Linne (nat ord. Euphorbiacese). 



Habitat. — India, Indian Archij^elago, and Philippine 

 Islands. Also cultivated. 



Properties. — A pale yellow or brownish-yellow, somewhat 

 viscid, and somewhat fluorescent liquid, having a slight fatty 

 odor, and a mild, oily, afterwards burning and acrid taste 

 (great caution is necessary in tasting). Spec. gr. 0.940 to 

 0.960 at 59° F. When fresh it is soluble in about 60 parts 

 of alcohol, the solubility increasing by age. It is freely 

 soluble in ether, chloroform, carbon disulphide, and in fixed 

 and volatile oils. 



Constitiients. — 1, crotonol (CjgHj^O^), a non-purgative 

 body causing irritation of the skin ; 2, tiglinic acid (CgHgOJ, 

 and many volatile acids existing as glycerides and account- 

 ing for the odor of croton oil ; 3, free and combined fatty 

 acids. The purgative principle is undiscovered. 



Z>ose.— H.,11|^xv.-xxx. (1.-2.); C, 3 ss.-i. (2.-4); Sh. <fe Sw., 

 n\,v.-x. (.3-.6); D., lTLss.-iii. (.03-.18). 



Croton seeds resemble castor seeds in size, but are not 

 mottled or shiny. They are 13 Mm. long by 8 Mm. wide; 

 oval in shape*; white within, and possessing a mild, mucila- 

 ginous taste at first, but soon becoming hot and sharp. They 

 contain from 50 to 60 per cent, of (proton oil. 



Action External. — Croton oil is a most powerful irritant, 

 causing pain, redness and swelling of the skin, soon followed 

 by vesicles and pustules. Permanent destruction of the hair 

 follicles succeeds with loss of hair and cicatrices. When 

 applied to the skin, injected into the blood or under the skin, 

 it is eliminated to some extent by the bowels, producing 



