TRAGACANTH TREE-OF-HEAVEN. 285 



TRAGACANTH. Astragalus gummlfer, Labill. 



N.O. Leguminosce. 



Syn. Gum Tragacanth, Syrian Tragacanth. 

 Part used Gummy exudation. 



Action Mucilaginous, demulcent. Occasionally it 

 is used as a remedy in cough or diarrhoea where demul- 

 cents are desirable, but mostly in the shape of a 

 mucilage for the purpose of suspending heavy, water- 

 insoluble powders, such as bismuth or zinc preparations. 

 The powder forms an ingredient in most lozenges and 

 in many emulsions. 



Preparations Mucilage of Tragacanth B.P. and 

 U.S. P. Comp. Powder B.P. : Dose, 20-60 grains. 



Distinctive character This gum occurs in flat 

 pieces marked with curved lines. It is hard and tough, 

 and, in the Smyrna kind, yellowish white. In the 

 Persian kind it is thinner, slightly flexible, white, but 

 translucent, and often in longer, but twisted pieces. An 

 inferior, often reddish tinted, thicker kind is sold for 

 technical purposes, for smoothing boot leather, &c. The 

 Syrian is preferred for toilet preparations, such as 

 bandoline, as it makes a white mucilage. Tragacanth 

 loses on drying about 14 per cent, of water. It swells 

 up in water and forms a mucilage with even 50 parts of 

 water, but only a portion of it soluble. It dissolves 

 in alkali, but gives a yellow solution. It yields only 

 4 per cent, of ash. 



TREE-OF-HEAVEN. Ailanthus glandulosa, Desf. 



N.O. Rutacece. 

 Syn. Ailanto, Chinese Sumach. 



Parts used Bark, rootbark. 



Action Antispasmodic, cardiac depressant, astrin- 

 gent. The bark has been used with success in dysen- 



