6 
Vegetable  Drugs  Used  in  Mexico. 
f Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\        Jan.,  1891. 
face  ;  transverse  section  shows  a  thin  gray  bark  containing  some 
resinous  dots  and  near  the  wood  a  resin  circle  of  a  reddish-brown 
color ;  the  wood  is  pale  greenish-yellow  and  contains  resin  dots. 
Rootlets  numerous,  io  to  15  cm.  long,  3  to  4  mm.  thick;  gray, 
longitudinally  wrinkled,  brittle,  fracture  even  ;  the  transverse  frac- 
ture shows  a  very  thin  gray  exterior  circle,  next  a  much  broader 
glossy  layer,  followed  by  a  circle  of  reddish-brown  resin  dots  near 
the  meditullium,  the  latter  being  of  the  same  color  as  the  second 
layer  of  the  bark.  Odor  strongly  aromatic  ;  taste  persistently  bitter 
and  pungent.  The  drug  contains  resin,  volatile  oil,  tannin  and 
glucose,  according  to  Altamirano  ;  but,  according  to  Henckel,  the 
active  principle  is  a  glucoside  resembling  digitalin  in  its  action. 
A  subcutaneous  injection  of  012  gm.  of  the  alcoholic  extract 
given  to  a  frog,  causes  paralysis  of  the  voluntary  and  cardiac  motions  ; 
0  50  gm.  of  the  same  preparation,  in  intravenous  injection,  to  a  dog, 
produces  general  analgesia,  diminution  of  the  blood  pressure,  pulsa- 
tions and  respirations,  lasting  for  one  or  two  hours,  and  afterward 
disappearing  completely.  Taken  internally,  the  drug  has  an  emetic 
and  purgative  action  which,  however,  is  quite  variable.  The  tinc- 
ture, applied  to  the  skin,  is  used  as  an  analgesic,  and  as  an  antiseptic 
to  wounds  and  ulcers.  For  internal  use,  the  dose  is  two  spoonfuls 
of  the  tincture  diluted  with  water,  given  in  various  portions  during 
the  day. 
Senecio  tolucanus,  De  Candolle,  is  the  rabanillo  or  niTws  delmonte 
of  San  Luis  Potosi,  Sierra  de  Jaripeo,  etc.  Stem  erect,  fistular, 
glabrous  and  fluted  ;  leaves  semiamplexicaul,  oval,  serrate,  about  24 
cm.  long  and  8- cm.  broad  ;  heads  radiate,  yellow  ;  involucre  campanu- 
late,  calyculate,  in  one  row  ;  receptacle  naked,  flat,  alveolate  ;  ligules 
obtuse,  pistillate ;  disk-florets  perfect ;  anthers  caudate ;  pappus 
white,  plumose,  in  one  row ;  odor  unpleasant ;  taste  somewhat 
pungent.  The  plant  possesses  tetanic  properties.  Besides  fat  and 
a  volatile  principle,  Velez  isolated  the  alkaloid  toxisenecine,  which 
crystallizes  in  oblique  rhombic  prisms. 
Solidago  mexicana,  Kunth,  has  the  leaves  sessile,  semiamplexi- 
caul, lanceolate,  narrowed  below,  entire  and  glabrous,  about  8  cm. 
long  ;  heads  in  axillary  racemes  ;  involucral  bracts  small,  scarious 
on  the  margin;  ligules  pistillate;  disk-florets  perfect;  receptacle 
naked  ;  pappus  simple  ;  inodorous  ;  taste  herbaceous  and  acrid. 
Solidago  velutina,  De  Candolle,  like  the  preceding  species,  is 
