340 IRRITANTS AND COUNTERIRRITANTS 



larly or intravenously. Injections are made at intervals of 1 — 3 

 days and may require many repetitions. It is less irritant locally 

 than thiosinamine. Its action is to soften scar tissues and perhaps 

 to promote its absorption. Reports of its use are contradictory, 

 many successes and failures having been reported. It has been suc- 

 cessfully used in hypertrophied scars of the skin, in structure 

 opacities of cornea, etc. It is said to be useless in corneal opacities 

 of long standing. 



It is contraindicated in active inflammatory conditions, in tuber- 

 culosis and in ulceration of the digestive tract. 



It is marketed in ampules of 2.3 mils of solution, representing 3 

 grains (0.2 gm.) of thiosinamine. 



CHRYSAROBINUM — CHRYSAROBIN 



This is official as a more or less impure neutral principle, ob- 

 tained from Goa powder^ a substance found in the heart wood of 

 Vouacapoua Araroha, a large tree of Brazil. Chrysarobin is a yellow 

 crystalline powder, odorless, tasteless, slightly soluble in water, alco- 

 hol, chloroform and ether. It assumes a darker color on exposure to 

 light, due to partial oxidation to chrysophanic acid. 



Preparation. 



Unguentum, Chrysardbini, 6 per cent, in benzoinated lard. 



Action and Uses. It is never used internally, but is a gastro- 

 intestinal irritant. Large doses are irritant to the urinary tract to 

 such an extent that they may cause nephritis. It is largely elimi- 

 nated by the kidneys. 



Externally it is a parasiticide and irritant. 



Chrysarobin is one of the best agents we have for the treatment 

 of psoriasis, but stains the skin yellow temporarily and may cause 

 some dermititis. It is especially adapted where the patches are few 

 and large, or to large patches in extensive cases. It may be absorbed 

 from the skin sufficiently to cause internal disturbances if used too 

 freely and should not be used upon the head, as the eyes and con- 

 junctiva are very sensitive to it. It is prescribed as an ointment as 



Chrysarobini gr. x — Ix. 

 Adipis §j. 



or in suspension in collodion, 30 — 60 grains to the ounce. It may 

 also be employed for ringworm when the areas are small. 



OLEUM CADINUM. OIL OP CADE 



Synonyms. Oil of Cade, Juniper Tar Oil, Oleum Juniperi 

 Empyreumaticum 



This is an empyreumatic oil distilled from the wood of Juniperus 

 OxycedruSj a shrub . resembling the common juniper and growing 



