ALOES. 359 



3. Pilula Aloes Socotrinse. 1 in 2. Dose, 5 to 10 gr. 



4. Pilula Aloes et Assafcetidse. Equal parts of Aloes, Assafoe- 



tida, Hard Soap, and Confection of Roses. 1 in 4. 

 Dose, 5 to 10 gr. 



5. Pilula Aloes et Mvrrhse. Aloes, 2 ; Myrrh, 1 ; Saffron, ; 



Confection of Roses, 2. 1 in 3. Dose, 5 to 10 gr. 



6. Tinctura Aloes. 1 in 40. Dose, 1 to 2 fl.dr. 



7. Vinum Aloes. Nearly 2 gr. in 1 fl.dr. Dose, 1 to 2 fl.dr. 



Aloes Socotrina is also an important ingredient of Pilula 

 Rhei Composita, 1 in 6; and Tinctura Benzoini 

 Composita, 8 gr. to 1 fl.oz. 



ACTION AND USES. 

 1. IMMEDIATE LOCAL ACTION AND USES. 



Aloes acts upon the stomach and intestines as a bitter and 

 purgative. The former effect is fully described under Calumba 

 Radix, page 181. As a purgative, aloes is peculiar in acting 

 chiefly upon the colon. Ten to fifteen hours or even more 

 after an ordinary dose, rarely sooner, a soft formed or lightly 

 relaxed motion is passed. Very large doses may not act 

 more quickly, but much more violently, with pain, straining, 

 and possibly bleeding from the rectum. Aloes is thus the 

 slowest of all purgatives. The presence of bile is believed to 

 be required to insure the action of the purgative aloin, and the 

 drug is, in turn, a stimulant of the biliary flow. The pelvic 

 circulation generally, as well as that of the rectum, is excited 

 by aloes, which may cause haemorrhoids and haemorrhage 

 from the bowel, increased uterine activity, menstruation, pos- 

 sibly menorrhagia, and even abortion if given in large doses, 

 in certain subjects, or repeatedly. 



Aloes is used as one of our most valuable purgatives in 

 suitable cases. It is especially indicated in habitual constipa- 

 tion due to languor of the colon, with low atonic dyspepsia 

 and hypochondriacal despondent feelings. It improves instead 

 of deranging digestion, and gains instead of losing its activity 

 by repetition ; its laxative effect is of a natural character, if its 

 griping action be covered by carminatives as in most of the 

 officinal preparations. It must, however, be avoided in irritable 

 states of the rectum, haemorrhoids, menorrhagia, and preg- 

 nancy, unless given with care. Aloes is an ingredient of almost 

 all the compound pills in ordinary use for habitual constipation, 

 e.g. of rhubarb, colocynth, and gamboge ; and the extract is 

 also given with extract of belladonna, nux vomica, sulphate of 

 iron, or quinia, as a dinner-pill. The compound decoction is 



