SANTONIN 595 



Description. — From 2 to 4 Mm. long ; oblong-ovoid, 

 obtuse, smooth, somewhat glossy, grayish-green, consisting 

 of an involucre of about 12 to 18 closely imbricated, glandu- 

 lar scales with a broad midrib, enclosing four or five rudi- 

 mentary florets ; odor strong, peculiar, somewhat camphor- 

 aceous ; taste aromatic and bitter. 



Constitiients. — The active principle is (1) santonin. 

 There is also (2) a volatile oil. 



Santoninum. Santonin. Ci^H^eO,. (U. S. & B. P.) 



Synonym. — Santonine, Fr.; santonin, G. 



A neutral principle obtained from santonica. 



Derivation. — Made from a mixture of lime and santonica 

 by exhausting with alcohol, evaporation of the latter, and by 

 the addition of acetic acid to the residue. Santonin is 

 obtained by treating an alcoholic solution of the residue with 

 animal charcoal and crystallization. 



Properties. — Colorless, shining, flattened; prismatic crys- 

 tals ; odorless and nearly tasteless when first put in the 

 mouth, but afterwards developing a bitter taste ; not altered 

 by exposure to air, but turning yellow on exposure to light. 

 Nearly insoluble in cold water; soluble in 40 parts of 

 alcohol, in 140 parts of ether, in 4 parts of chloroform, and 

 in solutions of caustic alkalies. 



i>o.se.— Puppies, gr.^-i (.015-.03) ; D., gr.i.-iii. (.06-.18); 

 H., 3i-iv. (1.-15.). 



Action and Uses. — Santonin is preferable to santonica. 

 Santonin is chiefly valuable as a parasiticide against round- 

 worms ; viz. : A. lumbricoides of cattle and swine, A. mystax 

 and marginata of cats and dogs, and A. megalocephala of 

 horses. It has no influence on tape- worms, nor probably on 

 oxyurides. 



Large doses cause poisoning, with the occurrence, in 

 dogs, of nausea and vomiting, weakness, giddiness, muscular 

 trembling, salivation, slow pulse, rapid respiration, dilated 

 pupils, jadndice, unconsciousness, convulsions and death. 



