Botanic Remedies 111 



Buchu is disagreeble to take, is expensive, and 

 is being rapidly displaced by more effective agents. 



CACTUS 



NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS, Cactus grandiflorus or 

 Cereus grandiflorus. Not official, but listed in the 

 National Formulary. The cacti have been inade- 

 quately investigated. Some species are used as food 

 for cattle. I have personally investigated, though in 

 a superficial way, a number of species, using fresh 

 material. The common opuntia is mucilaginous 

 and its tincture, sometimes sold as "tr. cactus," 

 is inert. Cereus fimbriatus possesses acrid principles 

 of undetermined action. Anhalonium Lewinii, MES- 

 CAL BUTTON, carries anhalonine, a toxic agent espe- 

 cially impressing the nervous system. It is stated 

 that mescale, an intoxicating drink, is made from 

 it. Certainly, from my own observation, mescale 

 does not, at least as ordinarily made, give rise to 

 the same symptoms as does anhalonium. Little 

 anhalonium is to be found in the desert. Other 

 species of cacti, including some varieties of maguey, 

 from which the relatively mild pulque is made, 

 yield "buttons" at certain periods of their growth; 

 and the Indians gather certain cactus products to 

 use in drinks and in smoking, which produce symp- 

 toms resembling insanity. 



My own tests of anhalonium gave symptoms akin 

 to those produced by cannabis indica. This data, 

 for which I feel in position to stand sponsor, proves 

 that there are certain cacti possessed of active 

 properties. But the lack of critical data makes it 

 impossible to give a definite pharmacology of any 

 of the cacti. 



