. The elements of materia medica and therapeutics (Volume 2) . e root is re-garded as most efficacious. It is brought into the market in pieces slightlyquilled, several inches long, half an inch to two broad, and two or three linesthick, of a grayish-red colour, breaking with a short fracture and exposing lighter-coloured surfaces, mottled with red and white. The pieces from the root arerougher externally and more frequently destitute of epidermis. The odour isfeeble; the taste bitter and astringent, with a little aroma. In the fresh state thetaste is a little acrid. Chemical Composition.—Dr.
. The elements of materia medica and therapeutics (Volume 2) . e root is re-garded as most efficacious. It is brought into the market in pieces slightlyquilled, several inches long, half an inch to two broad, and two or three linesthick, of a grayish-red colour, breaking with a short fracture and exposing lighter-coloured surfaces, mottled with red and white. The pieces from the root arerougher externally and more frequently destitute of epidermis. The odour isfeeble; the taste bitter and astringent, with a little aroma. In the fresh state thetaste is a little acrid. Chemical Composition.—Dr. Walker, who analyzed the bark, announcedthat it contained, gum, resin, tannin, and gallic acid. To these have since beenadded by Mr. Cockburn (Am. Journ. of Pharm. vol. vii. p. 114), oil, fatty mat-ter, a crystalline substance, bitter extractive, wax, red colouring matter, ligninand potassa, iron, lime, and magnesia. From his experiments it appeared thatthe bitterness alone resided in the extractive matter, from which the crystallinesubstance was DOGWOOD. 765 A principle, to which the name cornine wa3 given, was several years since an-nounced, but has not been subsequently obtained by analysis. Medical Properties.—The article under consideration is a decided roborant,and hence has been placed by systematic writers in the list of tonics. By it was found to augment the force and frequency of the pulse and to in-crease the heat of the body. It also has an astringent effect. An analogy hasbeen supposed to exist between its mode of operation and that of cinchona, but itdoes not seem to be possessed of more than a general invigorating effect. As asubstitute for bark or its preparations, dogwood has been employed in the treat-ment of intermittent fever, and in domestic practice is much used. Advantagehas also been derived from it in the hands of regular practitioners. The objec-tion to its use, however, is the large doses required, which disorder the
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