Gentiana. Gentiana lutea.

Synonyms—Gentian, Yellow Gentian.

CONSTITUENTS—

Gentiopierin, gentisic acid.

PREPARATIONS—

Extractum Gentianae, Extract of Gentian. Dose, from two to ten grains.

Extractum Gentianae Fluidum, Fluid Extract of Gentian. Dose, from five to thirty minims.

Specific Medicine Gentian. Dose, from. five to thirty minims.

Physiological Action—Tonic in large doses, irritant, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The fresh root is more active than the dry.

Therapy—This is a popular stomachic tonic in cases where enfeeblement has occurred as the result of protracted disease. It has long been given in combination with other tonics or in wine, as an agent in the dyspepsia of the aged, or of gouty patients, and in the gastric inefficiency of infants and children, and to a good advantage in catarrhal diarrhoea.

As a tonic to the stomach, and the other organs of digestion and appropriation, in those cases where the system is greatly debilitated by protracted disease, it is one of the best remedies, especially by exhausting fevers of malarial origin. It is of much value in malarial conditions generally and has been used to a great extent instead of quinine.

When the periodicity has been overcome by quinine this is a rapid restorative to the system .

The tincture of gentian is given freely in conjunction with other tonics and with alteratives. It is given with the tincture of iron in the treatment of anemia complicating malarial disease. It is given in conjunction with the iodide of potassium where a tonic and alterative is demanded, and given alternately with hydrocyanic or hydrochloric acid, it is sometimes of great value in the vomiting of pregnancy.

This agent is perhaps the most valuable of this class. It can be depended upon as a bitter tonic and constant use will establish a confidence in it.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.