SEN 



SEN 



Extras of Sena. See Cassia. 



As the aAivity of fena is impaired by the preparation of 

 it in the form of a decoftion, it mull neceffarily fuffer much 

 more in this preparation. Tlie extract is black, fhining, 

 and tenacious, and has an odour fimilar to that of wort, and 

 a bitterifh talte. It is almoft inert as a purgative, and might 

 properly be altogether rejefted. 



However, feme have highly extolled M. Geoffroy's dry 

 extraft, which is made of a very ftrong infufion, evaporated 

 to a dry and pulverizable fubftance. This, they fay, is 

 cafily taken, of no ill taite, and operates in a very fmall 

 quantity, one-third part containing the virtue of the whole, 

 or nearly fo ; the niceft calculations fhewing, that 24 grains 

 of the extraft, fome part of which may be fuppofed to be 

 earth, or other accidental or ufelefs matter, poflefs the 

 virtues of a drachm in fubltance. Mem. de I'Acad. des 

 Scienc. Paris, 1738. 



Infufion of Sena. See CassIA. 



The Dublm pharmacopeia direfls this infufion to be pre- 

 pared by taking 3 drachms of fena leaves, half a drachm of 

 lefTer cardamom feeds, freed from the capfules and bruifed, 

 and boiling water, as much as will yield, when ftrained, 

 6 ounces by meafure. Digeil for an hour, and when the 

 liquor is cold, ftrain it. Thefe infufions will fpoil in warm 

 weather in 48 hours ; and by fimple expofure to the air, at- 

 tract oxygen, which occafions a yellowifh precipitate of 

 ©xydized extraftive, that gripes violently, but is not pur- 

 gative ; on wliich account they (hould be preferved in a 

 well-clofed veflel, and made only when wanted. They are 

 alfo precipitated by the Itrong acids, the alkaline carbonates, 

 lime-water, folutions of nitrate of filver, oxymuriate of mer- 

 cury, fuperacetate of lead, tartarized antimony, and infu- 

 fion of yellow cinchona bark, which are confequently in- 

 compatible in formulx with thofe infufions. The infulions 

 now mentioned contain all the purgative principles of the 

 plant, and the aromatics corredl its griping properties. 

 They are given alone, or more generally combined with 

 neutral falts and manna. The dofe of the fimple infufions 

 may be from f ^iij to f ^iv ; but with the addition of 3j of 

 the tartrate of potafs, or 3iij of the fulphate of magnefia, 

 which are the ufual adjunfts, f Jij are fuflicient. 



Infufion of Tamarinds and Sena is prepared, according to 

 the Edinb. Ph., b) taking of preferved tamarinds, i ounce ; 

 fena leaves, i drachm ; coriander feeds, bruifed, half a 

 drachm ; raw fugar, half an ounce ; and boiling water, 

 8 ounces. Macerate in a covered earthen veffel, which is 

 not glazed with lead, (haking frequently, and after 4 hours 

 ftrain. It may be made with double or triple the proportion 

 of fena. This infufion is made, according to the direAions 

 of the Dubl. Ph., in the fame manner as the infufion of 

 fena, except that jj of tamarinds is added, before ftraining 

 the liquor. 



In thefe infufions, the naufeous tafte is covered by the 

 fugar ai d the acid of the tamarinds ; but in other refpeAs 

 they agree both in their properties, and in the effeds of the 

 incompatible fubilances ; to which, however, mull be added 

 all falts having potafs for their bafe. 



Compound Powder of Sena. See Cassia, and Powder 

 of Sen<i. 



Tinflure of Sena is prepared, according to the Lond. Ph. 

 of 1809, by taking of fena leaves, 3 oz., carraway feeds 

 bruifed, i-^oz., cardamom feeds bruiltd, 1 dr., raifins Itoned, 

 4 oz., and proof fpirit, 2 pints. Macerate for 14 days and 

 filter. The Dubl. Ph. direfts to take of fena leaves lib., 

 carraway feeds bruifed, i| oz., lefler cardamom feeds hufli- 

 ed and bruiled, -5 oz., and proof fpirit, a gallon. Digeft 

 for 14 days, then filter. 



Compound Tindure of Sena, formerly called Elixir falutis, 



or Elixir of health, is prepared by taking of the leaves of 

 fena, 2 oz., jalap root bruifed, i oz., coriander feeds 

 bruifed, ■§ oz., proof fpirit, 351b Digeil for 7 days, and 

 to the filtered tinfture add of refined fugar, 40Z. 



Thefe tinftures are ilomachic and purgative : they are 

 very efficacious in flatulent colic, atonic gout, and as an 

 opening medicine for thofe whofe bowels have been weaken- 

 ed by intemperance. The dofe is from fsij to f^j in any 

 appropriate vehicle. 



Syrup of Sena, according to the Lond. Ph., is prepared 

 by taking of fena leaves, I oz., fennel feeds bruifed, i dr., 

 manna, refined fugar, of each lib., and boiling water, a 

 pint. Macerate the fena leaves and the fennel feeds in the 

 water for 12 hours; ftrain the liquor and mix with it the 

 manna and the fugar. The Dubi. Ph. direfts to take of 

 manna, refined fugar, of each lib., fena leaves, i 01., 

 and boiling water, a pint. Let the fena leaves be mace- 

 rated in the water in a covered vellel for 12 hours ; then 

 didolve the manna and the fugar in the ftrained liquor. 



Tliis fyrup contains the purgative properties of the fena, 

 and is chiefly intended for children ; but the fimple infufion 

 of fena, fweetened with fugar, and with the addition of a 

 little milk, given in the form of tea, is more willingly taken 

 by children, and operates with greater certainty, Lewis 

 Woodville. Thomfon. 



Sena, Baflard, m Botany. See Cassia. 



Sena, Bladder. See Colutea. 



Sena, Podded. See Coronilla. 



Sen.a, Scorpion, Emerus, a fpecies of coronilla ; which 

 fee. The leaves of this plant are ufed, but Boerhaave is 

 unacquainted with any medicinal virtue in them. Ruppius 

 writes, that the common people fubftitute the leaves in- 

 ftead of thofe of fena ; and Buxbaum tells us, that old 

 women who pretend to medicine, call it fenes blatter, and ufe 

 it inftead of ieiia leaves. 



Sena, in j^ncient Geography, a river of Italy, in Umbria, 

 between the Metaurus and the Mifus, according to Silius 

 Itahcus. 



Sena Gallica, Senagaglia, a town of Italy, in Umbria, of 

 Gaulifh origin, as its name indicates. When the Romans 

 had put the Gauls to flight, they eftablifhed a colony in 

 this city, towards the year 359. . Pompey vanquifhed Mar- 

 cius in this place and deftroyed it. Ptolemy afligns it to 

 the Senones, from whom it derived its name. 



Sena Infula, an ifland, according to Mela, in the Britifli 

 ocean, on the coall of the Ofifmii. It is now the Ifle of 

 Sein or of Saints, on the coaft of Bretagne. 



Sena Julia, Sienne, a town of Italy, in Etruria, E. of 

 Volatern, from which it is feparated by mountains. Dif- 

 ferent accounts have been given of its origin, from which 

 we may infer, that it is not one of the ancient towns of 

 Etruria. The Romans eftabhfhed a colony in this place in 

 the year of Rome 456, or as others fay, 471. A new 

 colony was eftablilhed in this place in the time of Julius 

 Caefar, who gave it the name of Julia. In 1 370 it was 

 fubjeft to Charles IV. : it fuff^ered much in the wars of the 

 Guelphs and Ghibellmes. Charles V. gave the inveiliture 

 of it to Philip II. his fon, who fold it to Cofmo, duke of 

 Florence, in 1558. 



SENABA, in Geography, a town of Egypt, on the left 

 bank of the Nile; 13 miles S. of Melaiii. 



SENAC, John, in Biography, a diftinguifhed French 

 phyfician, was born in Gafcony, about the clofe of the 

 1 7th century. Little is recorded refpeding the progrefs 

 of his education and life ; but he is ftated to have been a 

 doftor of the faculty of phyfic of Rheims, and a bachelor 

 of that of Paris ; which laft degree he obtained in the 

 year J724 or 1725. He was a man of profound erudition, 



united 



