Oleum Santali
Oil of Santal, Oil of Santal Wood, East Indian Oil of Santal, Oil of Sandalwood.
A volatile oil distilled from the wood of Santalum album, Linné (Nat. Ord. Santalaceae). A small tree of southern India and the Indian Archipelago.
Description.—A pale yellow, thickish, oily liquid having the taste and odor characteristic of sandalwood; soluble in alcohol. Dose, 1 to 15 drops.
Principal Constituent.—An alcohol santalol (C15H26O)
Action and Therapy.—Oil of santal closely duplicates the effects of oil of copaiba and oil of cubeb, and will sometimes cause gastro-intestinal disturbances. It is, however, less irritant and pleasanter to take than those oils. It may occasion a red papular eruption upon the skin and the conjunctivae. Oil of santal is eliminated chiefly by the urinary and bronchial tracts, acting upon them as a stimulant and disinfectant. It is chiefly used in gonorrhea after the active stage has passed. Occasionally it is employed in chronic bronchitis and bronchial catarrh with fetid expectoration, in pyelitis, chronic cystitis, chronic mucous diarrhoea, and in urethral hemorrhage.
