142 Botanic Drugs 



COLLINSONIA 



STONE ROOT, HORSE-BALM, Collinsonia Cana- 

 densis. Not official. Belongs to the mint family. 

 The leaves contain a volatile oil. The root is the 

 part principally used, and its constituents have not 

 been determined. The U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture has investigated HORSEMINT, which is allied 

 to collinsonia, and finds it to contain very consid- 

 erable quantities of thymol, or a phenol from which 

 thymol may be extracted. The collinsonia root is 

 exceedingly hard, has a disagreeable balsamic odor, 

 and loses its activity by drying or exposure to heat; 

 hence it must be extracted by slow maceration or 

 the preparation is inert. It possesses the stimulant 

 properties common to plants of its class, and is said 

 to be diuretic and tonic. John V. Shoemaker con- 

 sidered it an antispasmodic of value in gastralgia. 

 In appreciable doses it is emetic. 



Doses short of nausea (fl., 15 minims) relieve 

 tense and spasmodic throat troubles, such as aphonia 

 from over-use of the voice. It is a good bitter in 

 smaller doses (fl., 5 to 10 minims), and it has an 

 apparently well justified reputation in relieving 

 spasm and irritation of the rectal tissues from 

 hemorrhoids or other cause. 



COLOCYNTH 



COLOCYNTHIS, BITTER APPLE, Citrullus colo- 

 cynthis. Official in most standards, but the British 

 and United States pharmacopeias (recent) have 

 recognized the pulp instead of the peeled dried fruit. 

 Colocynth contains a small quantity of a-elaterin, 

 water-soluble glucosides and an amorphous alka- 

 loid. 



