306 MATER IA MEDICA AND THERAPEUTICS. 



Composition. Both leaves and seeds contain a crystalline 

 alkaloid, daturia, combined with malic acid. Daturia, C^H^ 

 N0 3 , is a tropate of tropin, that is, is identical with hyoscyamia, 

 and isomeric but not identical with atropia. See Belladonna, 

 page 299. 



Incompatibks. Metallic salts, and mineral acids. Daturia 

 is decomposed by caustic alkalies like atropia. 



Preparations of Stramonii Semina. 

 , 1. Extractum Str^mon", Spirituous, after washing with 



ether. Dose, ^ to | gr. 

 2. Tinctura Strarinonii. 1 in 8. Dose, 10 to 20 min. 



1 ACTION AND USES. 



Daturia has an almost exactly similar action to atropia. 

 i Two points of difference require to be noticed, namely, (1) that 

 ( the extract of stramonium is more powerful than the extract of 

 I belladonna, and (2) that stramonium is more depressant to the 

 ] nerves of the bronchi. The use of stramonium is almost con- 

 fined to the treatment of spasmodic affections of the respiratory 

 organs, such as spasmodic bronchitis and asthma. The extract 

 in doses of | gr. may be given to prevent or lessen the attacks, 

 and the leaves may be smoked as cigarettes during the paroxysm. 



Hyoscyami Folia HYOSCYAMTTS LEAVES. 

 The fresh leaves, with the branches to which they are 

 attached, of Hyoscyamus niger : also the leaves 

 separated from the branches and carefully dried ; 

 gathered from wild, or cultivated British, biennial 

 plants, when about two-thirds of the flowers are ex- 

 panded. 



Characters. Leaves sinuated, clammy, and hairy. The 

 fresh herb has a strong unpleasant odour and a slightly acrid 

 taste, which nearly disappear on drying. The fresh juice, 

 dropped into the eye, dilates the pupil. 



Substances resembling Hyoscyamus : See Belladonna and Stra- 

 monii Folia. 



Composition and Incompatibles. The active principle is 

 hvoscvamia. which is identical with daturia, and isomeric with 

 atropia. See Stramonii Folia, page 305, and Belladonna Folia, 

 page 298. 



Preparations. 



1. Extractum Hvoscyamy A green extract. 20 of the 

 fresh leaves in 1. Dose, 3 to 6 gr. 



