194 HERBS 



The student should observe 



(a) The characteristic shape of the leaf, 



(b) The shallow, helmet-shaped sepal, 



(c) The characteristic taste. 



Constituents. Aconite herb contains certain alkaloidal con- 

 stituents, but of the exact nature of these and the proportion in 

 which they exist there is no very definite information. The dried 

 leaves have been stated to contain from 0-12 to 0-96 per cent, of 

 total alkaloid, of which a part at least is undoubtedly the highly 

 toxic crystalline alkaloid aconitine, but to what extent other alkaloids 

 are associated with it, and what their nature may be, is not at present 

 known. Probably the non-toxic alkaloids picraconitine and aconine, 

 which have been isolated from the root, are also present in the herb. 

 (Compare ' Aconite Root '). 



The herb also contains aconitic acid and tannin. 



Aconitic acid, C 3 H 3 (COOH) 3 , is a crystalline acid obtained by heating citric 

 acid to 175, or by heating it with water and sulphuric acid ; it is widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the vegetable kingdom. 



Uses. Aconite administered internally produces a steady fall 

 hi the body temperature, and is therefore given to alleviate certain 

 febrile conditions ; it also relieves the pain of neuralgia, and may 

 be used internally or externally. The tincture prepared from the 

 dry root is much more generally used than the green extract or juice 

 made from the fresh herb. (Compare also ' Aconite Root.') 



The very poisonous nature of the herb renders care necessary in 

 tasting it. 



BROOM TOPS 



(Cacumina Scoparii) 



Source, &c. The broom, CytisusScoparius, Link (N.O. Leguminosce) , 

 is a woody shrub, attaining a height of 2 metres, indigenous to 

 England, and distributed over temperate Europe. It was employed 

 medicinally by the Anglo-Saxons and by the Welsh. The younger 

 herbaceous tops are collected, and are official in the fresh state for 

 the preparation of the juice, and dried for making the infusion. 



Description. The stem of the broom produces numerous long, 

 slender, alternate, erect branches which are glabrous, tough, and 

 flexible. The upper part of each branch is dark green, and bears 

 five distinct wings, which, however, are thrown off as the stems 

 increase in size. The leaves are small, alternate, and hairy whilst 

 young ; the lower are trifoliate and stalked, but those near the ends 

 of the twigs are reduced to single sessile leaflets. They easily fall 



