Materia Medica of the New Mexican Pharmacopoeia. Part 8.

Related entries: M. Ph. Materia Medica: part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8 -
Related entries: M. Ph. Pharmaceutical preparations part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4.
Other tomes: King's (mat.med.) - King's (preparations)

BY THE EDITOR.

Genciana. Although Gentiana calyculata, G. mexicana, G. Hartwegi and other species of this genus are indigenous to Mexico, and several of them are abundant, they are not employed medicinally, but the root of G. lutea is used. The first named species is known as Flor de Santo Domingo, or Flor de nieve (snowflower).

Gobernadora de Mexico, Zygophyllum Fabago, Lin.; Zygophyllaceae; grows in Mexico, but is indigenous to the Orient. The leaves are popularly used in baths and fomentations for relieving rheumatic pains, and the fruit preserved in vinegar like capers, hence the common name falsa alcaparra, and in English bean caper.

Gobernadora de Puebla, Eupatorium veronicaefolium, Kunth; Compositae; in the neighborhood of Puebla. The leaves are used like the preceding.

Goma de Sonora is an exudation of Mimosa laccifera, produced by the hemipterous insect, Carteria mexicana, Comstock. It resembles grain-lac, from which it differs in being less deeply red, in having a taste resembling that of succinic acid, and in becoming elastic when heated; it is used against metrorrhagies.

Goma mangle; from Rhizophora Mangle, Lin.; Rhizophoraceae; in Tampico and other coast districts. It forms rather voluminous masses or separate tears, 5 Cm. or more thick, is reddish-brown externally, dark red internally, bard, breaks with a conchoidal and opaque fracture, and has a sweetish mucilaginous taste and a peculiar odor. It dissolves in water without leaving any residue except the impurities, forming a mucilage of less consistency than that of gum mezquite.

Another variety of goma mangle, obtained from Rhizophora Candel, Lin., is in distinct slightly adhering tears, externally scaly, glossy, transparent, of little hardness, breaking with an uneven shining fracture, inodorous, of a mucilaginous taste, and dissolves less freely in water, but swells up and forms a thinner mucilage.

The gum is used in the Philippine Islands as a febrifuge, and in Mexico for relieving cough. The fruit is edible. The bark and also the fruit are used for tanning.

Gordolobo del pa's, Gnaphalium canescens, De Cand.; Compositae; in temperate regions of Mexico. The flowers of this species, as well as of Gn. Berlandieri, De Gand.; Gn. hirtum, Humb., and Gn. Viscosum, Humb., which are abundant near the capital, are used as a substitute for mullein as an emollient and pectoral.

Guaco, Aristolochia fragrantissima, Ruiz et Pavon; Aristolochiaceae; in Colima, etc. The branches, which are stimulant and antispasmodic, are woody and twining; the bark is gray, thick and fissured; the cork rolled up; the wood whitish and with large ducts; the odor aromatic, resembling that of French marigold (Tagetes), and the taste bitter and aromatic. The drug contains a volatile oil, tannin, resin, bitter principle, gum, starch and salts. It enjoys considerable reputation as an antidote to poisoning by scorpions, vipers and other animals, and is used externally in purulent ophthalmia, blennorrhagia, chronic ulcers, vaginitis, etc. The powder is given in doses of 1 to 5 Gill., and an infusion is made containing 20 Gm. to the liter. Arist. grandiflora, Swartz, has analogous properties, and in Yucatan the guaco de San Crist—bal, Ar. pentandra, Lin., is similarly employed.

In a similar manner are also employed the sterns and leaves of different species of Mikania (Compositae), namely, M. Guaco, Kunth, guaco de Tabasco or de Guatemala; M. Houstonis, guaco de Veracruz; and M. Gonvelada, guaco de Tampico.

Guarana, from the seeds of Paullinia sorbilis, Martius. The seeds of the Mexican species P. barbadensis, Jacquin; P. costata, Schlechtendal, and P. pinnata, Lin., may perhaps be made to yield a similar preparation.

Guayabo, Psidium pomiferum, L., and Ps. pyriferum, L.; Myrtaceae; in hot and moist districts. The bark contains tannin 12.1, sugar and other matters soluble in water 13.8, resin and chlorophyll 1.7, calcium oxalate 30.8 per cent., etc. The root and bark are used as astringents in diarrhea; the leaves as a vulnerary and resolvent, and the fruit as an anthelmintic and aliment.

Habilla de San Ignacio, the seed of Hura crepitans, Lin.; Euphorbiaceae; in hot and moist districts. The seeds contain 60 per cent. Of fixed oil, and are used as a drastic in doses of 0.05 to 0.10 Gm. They should not be confounded with Haba de San Ignacio or Cabalonga, the seeds of Strychnos Ignatii.

Hanchinol, Heimia syphilitica, De Cand., and H. salicifolia, Link; Lythraceae; in the State of Mexico. The leaves contain, according to Alas, fat and chlorophyll 12, extractive and resin 14, bitter principle 9, gum 18, tannin 15, salts 5, tissue 27 per cent.; the resin is stated to be the active portion. The decoction is used as an antisyphilitic, and topically for the cure of ulcers. Alas states that the alcoholic extract is a good hemostatic, and the bitter principle, nessine, has febrifuge properties.

Heno, Tillandsia usneoides, Lin.; Bromeliaceae; in the Mexican valley, etc. The plant is used as an astringent. This is the so-called long moss of our Southern States.

Hipericon. Under this name the flowering tops of several species of Hypericum are used for their astringent and balsamic properties, namely H. perforatum, Lin., var. mexicanum (?), H. denticulatum, H. fastigiatum, H. formosum, Humboldt et Bonpland. A composite plant, Tagetes lucida, Cav., vulgarly known as periquillo, is sometimes used in the place of the former.

Hisopo de México, Salvia axillaris, Mociño et Sessé; Labiatae; in Guadalajara, etc. Reputed to possess the properties of hyssop. The leaves are linear-oblong, acute, entire, narrowed at the base, and rough-hairy; the axillary verticils contain 2 to 6 flowers. The plant resembles thyme in aspect, and has an aromatic odor and bitter taste. Verbena ciliata, the alfombrilla silvestre, which is often substituted for the former, is sufficiently distinguished by being inodorous. Salvia polystachya, Ortega, and Salvia linearis, Mociño, are also frequently called hyssop.

Hojas de San Pedro, Daphne salicifolia, Kunth; Thymelaceae; in the State of Morelos. The leaves are epispastic; the bark might probably be used as a substitute for mezereon.

Huacamote is the starch of' Manihot Aipi, Pohl.

Huamuchil, Mimosa Unguis-cati, Willdenow; Leguminosae; in the hot and moist regions of the eastern slope of the Mexican cordillera. The bark is astringent; the fruit is edible, the juice of the seed produces an abundant secretion of the nose, and the powder is used for cleaning ulcers from maggots and for cicatrizing old ulcers.

Huanita, Morelosia (Bourreria) Huanita, La Llave et Lexarza; Boraginaceae; in the State of Michoacan. The bark is used as an antiperiodic and astringent.

Huauzontle, Blitum (Chenopodium) Bonus-Henricus, Reichenbach; Chenopodiaceae. The flowering tops are laxative.

Huinar, Malva scoparia, Cavanilles; Malvaceae; in temperate districts. The root has considerable reputation in the cure of diarrheas.

Incienso (olibanum), Ipecacuana blanca (Riebardsonia scabra), Ipecacuana de las minas de Oro (Psychotria emetica), Ipecacuana oficinal, Jaborandi (Pilocarpus), Jalapa oficinal, Jalapa macho (Orizaba root), Jalapa de Tampico, Jaldre (yellow orpiment), Jengibre (ginger), Jitomate (tomato; fruit used as an anodyne), Kamala, Lactucario, Lanten (Plantago major, etc.), Laurel (Laurus nobilis), Lechuca (lettuce), Lenteja, Lentejilla or Panal (Lepidium virginicum, Lin.; in diarrhea), Licopodio (lycopodium), Limon, Linaza (flax seed), L'quen Carragaheen, Líquen de Islandia, Lirio de Florencia (orris root), Lobelia (Lob. inflata), Lúpulo (hops) have all been admitted.

Ipecacuana del pals, Solea (Hybanthus) verticillata, Sprengel; Violaceae; on the hills of Santa Fe, west of the capital, etc. Cervantes Vicente found it (the root?) to be a good substitute for the officinal ipecac, if taken in doses double of those of the latter.

Jalapa de Querétaro, Ipomoea triflora, Velasco. The root is met with in circular fragments, about 10 Cm. broad and 2 Cm. thick; color gray on the flat, and darker on the convex portions; superficially rough from many gray fibres; odor and taste almost none. M. C. Jimenez ("La Naturaleza," i, 338) obtained from the drug brown extract (aqueous?) 14, resin 16, salts 10.5 per cent., etc. The resin is light yellow, when powdered nearly white, insipid, inodorous, soluble in ammonia with a green-yellow color, partly soluble and partly insoluble in ether. The drug is a drastic purgative; dose of the powder 1 to 2 Gm.; the extract 0.20 to 0.40 Gm.; the resin 0.10 to 0.30 Gm., and the tincture 2 to 4 Gm.

The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 57, 1885, was edited by John M. Maisch.