470 SCROPHULARIACE/E. 



name of Digitalis, remarking that up to the time at which he wrote, 

 there was none for the plant in either Greek or Latin. At that period 

 it was regarded as a violent medicine. Parkinson recommended it in 

 1G40 in the "Theatrum botanicum," and it had a place in the London 

 Pharmacopoeia of 1650 and in several subsequent editions. The inves- 

 tigation of its therapeutic powers (1776-9) and its introduction into 

 modern practice are chiefly due to Withering, a well-known English 

 botanist and physician.^ 



The word fox-glove is said to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon 

 Foxes-glew, i.e. fox-niusic, in allusion to an ancient musical instrument 

 consisting of bells hung on an arched support.^ In the Scandinavian 

 idioms the plant bears likewise the name of foxes hell. 



Description — Foxglove is a biennial or perennial, the leaves of 

 which ought to be taken from the plant while in full flower. The 

 lower leaves are ovate with the lamina running down into a long stalk; 

 those of the stem become gradually narrower, passing into ovate- 

 lanceolate with a short broadly-winged stalk, or are sessile. All have 

 the margin crenate, crenate-dentate, or sub-serrate, are more or less 

 softly pubescent or nearly glabrous on the upper side, much paler and 

 densely pubescent on the under, which is marked with a prominent 

 network of veins. The principal veins diverge at a very acute angle 

 from the midrib, which is thick and fleshy. The lower leaves are 

 often a foot or more long, by 5 to 6 inches broad ; those of the stem are 

 smaller. 



When magnified, the tip of each crenature or serrature of the leaf is 

 seen to be provided with a small, shining, wart-like gland. The hairs 

 of the lower surface are simple, and composed of jointed cells which 

 flatten in drying ; those of the upper surface are shorter. 



In preparing foxglove for medicinal use, it is the custom of some 

 druggists to remove the whole of the petiole and the thicker part of 

 the midrib, retaining only the thin lamina, which is dried with a gentle 

 heat.^ The fresh leaf has when bruised an unpleasant herbaceous smell, 

 which in drying becomes agreeable and tea-like. The dried leaf has a 

 very bitter taste. 



Chemical Composition — Since the beginning of the present 

 century, numex'ous attempts have been made to prepare the active 

 principle of foxglove, and the name Digitalin has been successively 

 bestowed on widely different substances. 



Among the investigators engaged in these researches, we may 

 point out Walz (1846-1858), Kosmann (1845-46, 1860), Homolle 

 partly with Quevenne (1845-61), Nativelle (1872), and especially 

 Schmiedeberg (1874).* The latter has prepared a new, w^ell-defined, 

 crystal! izable principle, Digitoxin, from Digitalis. He exhausted 

 with water the leaves previously dried and powdered, and then 

 extracted them repeatedly with dilute alcohol, 50 per cent.; the 



^ Withering (William), Account of the jjarticular directions are given in the 



Fox-glove, Birmingham, 1785. S''. British Pharmacopeia. 



"^ Vr'iov, Popular Name's of British Plantii, ■•For further jjarticulars on Schmiede- 



ed. 2. 1870. 84. berg's very elaborate researches, the reader 



' This method of preparing the leaf was may consult my abstract of them in P/iai~m. 



directed in the London Pharmacopctia of Journ. v. (187i>) 741. — F.A. F. 

 J851, but it had long been in use, Xo 



