232 MATERIA MEDIC A AND THERAPEUTICS. 



flowers, pods, and leafstocks of the same, and from the 

 leaves, flowers, and fruit of Soleiiostemma Argel. 



Characters and Tests. Lanceolate or obovate leaflets, about 

 an inch long, unequally oblique at the base, brittle, greyish- 

 green, of a faint peculiar odour, and mucilaginous sweetish 

 nauseous taste. The unequally oblique base, and freedom from 

 bitterness, distinguish the senna from the argel leaves, which, 

 moreover, are thicker and stiff er. 



Impurities ; and substances resembling Senna : Soleno- 

 stemma Argel, Uva Ursi, and Barosma, all equal at the base. 



Seima liidica TINNIVELLY SENNA. The leaf- 

 lets of Cassia elongata. From plants cultivated in 

 Southern India. 



Characters. About two inches long, lanceolate, acute, 

 unequally oblique at the base, flexible, entire, green, without 

 any admixture ; odour and taste those of Alexandrian Senna. 



Composition. Senna contains an active principle, cathartig 

 agid ; a colouring matter closely allied to chrysophanic acid ; 

 peculiar unfermentable sugar, catharto mannite; other obscure 

 glucosides, sennapicrin and sennacrol ; and various vegetable 

 salts. Cathartic acid, a highly important body, is an amorphous 

 glucoside, C 18o H l92 N 2 S082, which forms salts with bases, and 

 can be broken up in into glucose and cathartogenic acid, 



Dose. 10 to 30 gr. in powder. 



Preparations of either kind of Senna : 



1. Confectip Senna. 1 in 11 with Coriander, Figs, Tamarinds, 



Cassia Pulp, Prunes, Extract of Liquorice, Sugar and 

 Water. Lose, 60 to 120 gr. 



2. Infusum Sennse. -1 in 10. Dose, 1 to 2 fl.oz. 



From Infusum Senna is prepared : 



a. Mistura Senna? Composita. Infusion of Senna, 145 

 Tincture of Senna, 2^ ; Sulphate of Magnesia, 4 5 

 Extract of Liquorice, ; Compound Tincture of 

 Cardamoms, 1. Dose, 1 to l fl.oz. 



3. Syrupus Sennae. 1 in 2. Dose, 1 to 4 fl.dr. 



4. Tinctura Senna. 1 in 8. Dose, 1 to 4 fl.dr. 



Senna is also the most important ingredient in Pulvis Glycyr- 

 Compositum. 2 in 10. See Glycyrrhizee Radix, page 224. 



