Materia medica, or, Pharmacology and therapeutics (Volume 1, Part 2).

  • Tully, William, 1785-1859.
Date:
1857-58
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materia medica, or, Pharmacology and therapeutics (Volume 1, Part 2). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    43/774
    any such Narcotic effects as the water, in which their raspings have been macerated, will assuredly produce. It appeal's to me that this shows conclusively that the Narcotic principle, upon which the activity of this water depends, is generated in the pro- cess of maceration, being a product of it, and not an educt from the tubers. In order to be convenient for use in medicine, this water requires to be reduced to an Extract. AoOCANTHERA VENENATA,'* Cestrum bracteatum {Link.) Oestrum corymbosum (Schlecht.) Oestrum euanthes (Schlecht.) Oestrum l^vigatum (Scjilecht.) Oestrum Parqui (Z:'Jlentier.) Oestrum macrophtllum. Oestrum nocturnum. Aqua Cannabis sativ^e (Linn.) . It must be particularly observed that this preparation of Caua- bis sativa is intirely different as respects its power, operation and effects, from the power, operation and effects of the Resin or Al- coholic Extract of Cannabis Indica. In all probability, the latter is not Narcotic at all, but only Euphrenic ; or if it is Narcotic it is so slightly so as to be nearly lost in its Euphrenic power. But the preparation here intended is a pure Narcotic, without any Euphrenic power in conjunction. It is only the water in which the Cannabis sativa has been long macerated, and not the Cannabis itself, that is truly Narcotic. The crude plant can not be made to produce any such effect, though an Alcoholic Extract of certain parts of it is capable of producing effects similar to those of the Alcoholic Extract of Cannabis Indica, only in a much less degree. I am therefore strongly inclined to believe that the principle, which gives activity to the water, is not an educt from the plant, but only a product of the process of its maceration in water. This water should be reduced to an Extract to render it convenient for medicinal use. *The trivial name of this article should be venenosa, which means poisonous, and not venenata, which means poisoned.