188 Botanic Drugs 



THERAPEUTICS. The acrid principles largely es- 

 caping during the process of drying, tinctures and 

 fluidextracts made from recent material should be 

 employed when a sedative action upon the uterus 

 is desired. When a mere stomachic action is de- 

 sired, this is not so important, since the bitter prin- 

 ciples are not volatile. 



Helonias is a good bitter tonic and stomachic, but 

 possesses little carminative influence. See "Gen- 

 tian" for a discussion of the bitters. 



Uterine irritation, with a tendency to bearing- 

 down pains and habitual miscarriage, is amenable 

 to carefully regulated doses of this drug. Painful 

 menstruation, uterine reflexes, and uterine colic may 

 rationally be treated with helonias, as well as with 

 other drugs of the same class. Use small doses, 

 beginning with 1 minim fl. and running up. The 

 maximum dose fl. is 15 minims, and it is rarely 

 needed. 



These drugs are symptomatic remedies, worth 

 while in various functional disorders; but he is foolish 

 indeed who depends upon them to "cure" serious 

 gynecologic cases. Modern gynecology exacts care- 

 ful examination, discriminating diagnosis, and then 

 case-management, not mere symptomatic medication. 

 The latter has a place, so do these drugs, as part 

 only a part of the whole. 



HEMATOXYLON 



LOGWOOD, Haematoxylon campeachianum. Official 

 in Austria, England, Mexico, and in the Eighth 

 U. S. P. An astringent and feeble antiseptic. It 

 is one of the tannin-bearers and one of the more 

 agreeable to take; but it has the disadvantage of 



