388. Apium.—Celery Fruit.
388. APIUM.—CELERY FRUIT. From A'pium graveo'lens Linné, N.F., the common celery of our gardens, native to Levant and Southern Europe. Roundish-ovate, very small, brown cremocarps, generally separated into the two mericarps, which have five ribs and about six oil-tubes. They contain a volatile oil and a yellowish liquid principle, apiol, an oleoresinous substance, but somewhat analogous to the fixed oils; this apiol is chiefly extracted for medicinal use from parsley, however; it is used as an emmenagogue in doses of 8 to 12 drops (0.6 to 1 mil).
Preparation of Apiol.—The simplest process for its separation is to exhaust the fruit with petroleum-benzene, evaporate the solvent, and treat the residue with strong alcohol. On evaporation, the apiol remains. A process resulting in a pure, almost colorless apiol is published in "Pharm. Archiv," Feb., 1899. Dose: 7 ½ to 23 gr. (0.5 to 1.5 Gm.).
Celery is stimulant, antispasmodic, and carminative. Dose of fl'ext.: 5 to 15 drops (0.3 to 1 mil)
