480 
LECTURES ON THE BRITISH PHARMACOPEIA. 
in which they are placed in the British Pharmacopoeia, or, at least, of those 
which require such a notice. We commence with— 
Conium.— “ The fresh leaves and branches of wild British plants, gathered 
when the fruit begins to form ; and the leaves dried in the sun, or at a tem¬ 
perature not exceeding 120°,” are directed to be employed. It should be 
noticed that precise directions are here given, as with the other herbaceous 
plants alluded to in my last lecture, regarding the time of collection and the 
parts to be used. The leaves and branches are also most properly ordered to be 
taken from wild plants.* 
The leaves are simply described as triphmate; it would have been more 
precise and distinctive to have said triphmate with the leaflets pinnatijid; or 
decompound , as the lower leaves of the plant are always more divided than the 
character indicated of them in the British Pharmacopoeia. 
Cusso, Kusso, or Kousso.—This is an article which is entirely new to a 
Pharmacopoeia published in the United Kingdom. It has been likewise intro¬ 
duced into the Secondary List of the Materia Medica of the recently issued 
United States Pharmacopoeia. The plant which yields it is stated in the British 
Pharmacopoeia to be the Brayera anthelmintic a, lie Cand.; but as it was first 
described and named by Kunth, it should be Brayera antlielmintica , Kunth. 
It belongs to the natural order Rosacese. The flowers only are officinal, and are 
directed to be obtained from Abyssinia.f 
The flowers are described as “small, reddish-brown, on hairy stalks, outer 
limb of calyx five-parted, the segments ovate, reticulated.” The segments are 
however not ovate , as thus stated, but oblong or oblong-lanceolate, as may be 
seen by the drawing. They have a fragrant balsamic odour; and their tasters 
at first but slight, although ultimately somewhat acrid and disagreeable. 
The flowers have been found to contain a small quantity of a peculiar volatile 
oil, bitter acrid resin , two kinds of tannin , and a substance called Jcicoseine, and 
other matters of no importance. The medicinal properties appear to be essen¬ 
tially due to the bitter acrid resin, and doubtless, to some extent, to the volatile 
oil and tannin. M. Pavesi, and subsequently M. Yee, have obtained a prin¬ 
ciple from Kousso which they have termed koussine , and which they describe as 
yellow, bitter, and uncrystallizable. Is this the active principle ? 
Kousso has been in use as an anthelmintic in Abyssinia for more than two 
centuries, and it is very highly valued in that country. It was introduced into 
Europe about the year 1847, and when first tried in England, France, Germany, 
and Switzerland, great expectations were raised as to its valuable medicinal pro¬ 
perties. More recent trials, however, do not tend to confirm the extravagant 
notions then formed, and hence we regard this remedy as still upon its trial, and 
one which was well worthy of being placed in a Secondary List of the Materia 
Medica, but scarcely in so prominent a position as it has obtained in the British 
Pharmacopoeia. 
The conflicting results which have been experienced from the employment of 
Kousso are, doubtless, in part due to its varying age when administered, as its 
properties appear to be sensibly depreciated by keeping. The only officinal 
preparation is the Infusum, which should be taken in the morning fasting, and 
the last meal of the previous evening should have been slight. The infusion 
should not be strained, but the whole stirred up together; and the quantity 
ordered in the Pharmacopoeia {four fluid ounces ), containing a quarter of an 
ounce of Kousso, is the ordinary dose for an adult. 
Digitalinum.—T his neutral organic substance, which is said to be the active 
principle of Digitalis, is another article which has now for the first time obtained a 
* Pharm. Jouvn. vol. v. 2nd sev. pp. 421, 422, 424, and 425. 
f For a full account of Kousso, see Pharm. Jouvn. vol. x. p. 15. 
