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PHARMA COGNOSY. 
prominent, from which veins of the first order diverge 
at angles of 45° to 65° and unite with one another 
near the margin, and from which arise other anasto- 
mosing nerves giving a distinctly reticulate appear- 
ance; distinctly pubescent on the veins and frequently 
on the reticulations ; petiole about one-third the length 
of the lamina or in the upper leaves nearly wanting, 
grayish brown, laminated, texture fragile ; odor dis- 
tinct ; taste bitter. 
Leaves that are more than 30 cm. long should be 
rejected, as also the tuft of radical leaves of the first- 
year plant. 
Constituents. — Several crystalline glucosides, in- 
cluding digitoxin (0'2 to 03 per cent.), digitalin and 
digitonin, the former two being the more important. 
The digitalins on the market are of varying composi- 
tion, containg in addition to true digitalin, digitoxin 
and digitonin, other principles of digitalis. The drug 
also contains a yellow, crystalline coloring principle, 
resin, and ash about 10 per cent. 
HYOSCYAMUS (Henbane). 
The leaves and flowering tops of Hyoscyamus niger 
(Fam. Solanacese), an annual or biennial herb prob- 
ably indigenous to Europe and Western Asia, and 
cultivated in Germany, Russia, England and the 
Northern United States and Canada, and also nat- 
uralized in waste places. Hyoscyamus is collected 
shortly after flowering from biennial plants of the 
second year’s growth, and carefully dried and pre- 
served. The commercial article comes chiefly from 
Germany. 
Description. — Casually in irregular matted frag- 
ments. Stem hollow, cylindrical, flattened, longitu- 
dinally furrowed and wrinkled, 3 to 4 mm. in diameter; 
