THEOBROMA. .211 



ACTION AND USES. 



In the fresh state, Indian hael is a pleasant refreshing 

 fruit, with astringent and refrigerant properties, which render 

 it valuable in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. As 

 imported into this country in hard portions of rind and dried 

 pulp it is probably useless ; but a liquid extract made from the 

 fresh fruit appears to produce its specific effects. It is seldom 

 employed out of India. 



BYTTNERTAOFJR. 



Oleum Theobromae OIL OF THEOBROMA. 

 Synonym : Cacao Butter. A concrete oil obtained by 

 expression and heat from the ground seeds of Tbeo- 

 broma cacao, a small tree, a native of Demerara and 

 Mexico. 



Characters. Of the consistency of tallow ; colour yellowish, 

 odour resembling that of chocolate ; taste bland and agreeable ; 

 fracture clean, presenting no appearance of foreign matter. 

 Does not become rancid from exposure to the air. Melts at 

 95. The seeds also contain theobromin. See Caffein, page 270. 



Composition. Oil of theobroma constitutes from 30 to 60 

 per cent, of the cacao bean. It consists chiefly of stearin with 

 a little olein. 



Preparations. 



All the suppositories. 



ACTION AND USES. 



Cacao butter serves as a vehicle for more active substances 

 in the form of suppositories. The action of theobromin is the 

 same as that of caifein. See page 271. 



CAMELLIACE^. 

 Tea. (Not Officinal.) The dried leaves of Thea 



Composition. Tea contains an alkaloid, thein^ 

 identical with caffein ; a volatile oil, most abundant in green 

 tea, and tannin. The relations of the alkaloid, as well as 

 ita 



ACTION AND USES, 

 are described fully under Caffein, page 271. 



