GEUANIUM. 113 



one-half inch thick, more or less branched, pale reddish-brown, with nuuier- 

 ous tibrous rootlets. Stem erect, 1 to 2 feet hij,'h, somewhat branched 

 dichotomously, hairy. Kadical leaves largo, on long hairy petioles, deeply 

 cut into 5 or 7 segments, which are cuneate or clsloug, and lobed and cut 

 at the end ; stem-leaves similar in shape but nmch smaller, opposite, 

 placed at the forks of the stem, sessile or on short petioles. All the leaves 

 are at first green, but as they grow old become more or less blotched with 

 whitish spots. The llower-stalks arise from the forks of the stem, each 

 bearing two flower.s, one inch in diameter, on short pedicels. The flowers 

 are produced from May till July. 



Habitat. — Spotted geranium is one of the commouest plants in open 

 woods from Canada to Florida, and dming its period of blooming is con- 

 spicuously beautiful. Though its flowers are less showy than those of 

 many of the exotic garden geraniums (pdargonium), to the lover of nature 

 they are far more intei-esting when seen displayed in lavish profusion in 

 their native home, the woods. 



I'art Csed. — The rhizome — United Statea PJim'inacojyaia. 



Constituents. — Geranium root has a simple astringent taste, due to a con- 

 siderable percentage of tannic and gallic acids, which appear to be its only 

 important constituents, though there are also present gum, starch, pectin, 

 resin, coloring matter, etc. 



rreparations. — Extractum geranii fluidum — fluid extra(;t of geranium. 

 — United Slates Pharmaco-pivia. As geranium imparts its virtues i-eadily to 

 both water and alcohol, it may be administered in decoction or tincture. 

 In many cases to which the drug is applicable the decoction is by far the 

 most eligible preparation. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Geranium is justly considered one of our 

 best indigenous astringents — one, however, whose virtues are not fully ap- 

 preciated by the profession at large. Though active and efficient, it is still 

 mild and unirritating and devoid of all impleasant or otYensive properties. 

 It is therefore particularly suited to the later stages of diarrhtea and dysen- 

 tery, especially in children. In such cases a decoction in milk has been 

 found very serviceable. It has also been employed internally in a variety 

 of hemorrhages, with asserted benefit. As a topical astringent it has a still 

 wider field of usefulness, and may be employed in any case to which this 

 class of remedies is applicable, such as catarrhal inflammations and hemor- 

 rhages from nuicous surfaces. As an injection in gonorrluea, gleet, and 

 leucorrluea, the decoction is miich more serviceable than a simple solution 

 of tannin, doubtless from the fact that there is present nuicilagiuous ma- 

 terial which exerts a soothing influence. In fine powder the drug may bo 

 employed as a styptic in bleeding from the nose and from the gums after 

 the extraction of teeth. 



Finally, geranium, though possessing no properties of a specific char- 

 acter, is undeniabl}' a valuable astringent, and since the cases to which it 



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