612 AGENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN 



Atlas Mountains. Obtained by incising the stems and 

 branches. 



Dtscription. — In dull yellowish tears, of the size of peas; 

 odorless ; taste acrid ; powder of a grayish color ; insoluble 

 in water, but soluble in alcohol, ether and oil of turpentine. 



Constituents. — 1, an acrid resin (CjoHgoOJ, 38 per cent.,^ 

 the active principle ; 2, euphorbon. 



Action and Uses. — Enphorbium is an intense irritant, 

 both externally and internally. It is sometimes employed 

 in veterinary medicine as a constituent of resicating prepara- 

 tions to enhance their effect, but if applied alone it is liable 

 to cause extensive irritation, sloughiug, and destruction of 

 tissue. Euphorbium may, however, be safely applied in 

 tincture (1-16), or in ointment with cantharides, as a vesicant 

 for horses. The following combination is recommended as 

 a powerful blister for the latter animals. Euphorbium and 

 cantharides, each two parts ; corrosive sublimate, one part; 

 vaseline, 8 parts ; cerate, twelve parts. There is no danger 

 of absorption and genito-uriuary inflammation from the 

 use of euphorbium, as with cantharides. 



SECTION XVIII. -MEDICINAL AGENTS OF 

 ANIMAL ORIGIN. 



Cantharis. Cantharides. (U. S. &B. P.) 



Synonym. — Spanish flies, blister beetles, muscse hispan- 

 ic8B, E.; cantharides, Fr.; spanische fliegen, canthariden, G.; 

 cantharides, P.G. 



Cantharis is the beetle, Cantharis vesicatoria De Geer 

 (class Insecta ; order Coleoptera). 



Habitat. — Southern Europe, Germany and Russia ; 

 living chiefly on Oleacese and Caprifoliacese. 



Description. — About 25 Mm. long and 6 Mm. broad ; 

 flattish cylindrical, with filiform antennae, black in the upper 

 part, and with long wing-cases, and ample, membranous. 



