122 Botanic Drugs 



Rafuesque said of it that "as a powerful emmena- 

 gogue it promotes delivery, menstruation, and drop- 

 sical discharges." 



This is one of the "uterine remedies" which is 

 not inert. It is a true uterine stimulant to be em- 

 ployed with care in labor if uterine inertia occurs, 

 in relaxed uterus threatening post-partum hemor- 

 rhage, and where a uterine tonic is needed. Dose: 

 fl. 1 to 15 minims. Leontin, 10 to 60 minims, rarely 

 over 20. Use with care, but it is less active than 

 ergot. 



CHAMOMILLA 



MATRICARIA, GERMAN CHAMOMILE, Matricaria 

 Chamomilla. Official in sixteen national standards, 

 and its volatile oil in the Italian and Swiss Pharma- 

 copeias. 



In the U. S. P. VIII the "average dose" of an- 

 themis, or English chamomile, is stated as 30 

 grains; but matricaria is given as 240 grains eight 

 times as much. Yet the text-books give their 

 actions as the same. Eclectic literature gives the 

 maximum doses of matricaria as one-third that of 

 anthemis. 



Now, anthemis yields by distillation 0.45 per cent 

 of a volatile oil, to which the aromatic and stimulant 

 properties of the drug are due. Matricaria yields a 

 similar oil in just the same amount; but, compara- 

 tively, less anthemis will induce emesis, matricaria 

 being emetic only in very large doses. Neither 

 drug should be employed for its emetic properties, 

 and the comparative strengths of the two should 

 not be judged, nor the doses adjusted, on a basis of 

 the emetic dosage. 



PHARMACOLOGY. Anthemis and matricaria are 



