Mesenna. Musenna, Bisenna, Musena. Albizia anthelmintica.
Mesenna. Musenna. Bisenna. Musena, Moucena, Fr. Musennarinde, G.—Under these different names has been brought into notice, as a powerful tenifuge, the bark of an Abyssinian tree, Albizia anthelmintica Brongn. (Fam. Leguminosae). The bark is in flat pieces from five to ten inches long, smooth, slightly fissured, of a rusty gray color exteriorly, and pale yellow and fibrous within. It consists of four layers, one of which contains very large cells, with thick coats, and is supposed to be the active part. E. Caventou and Legendre found in the bark no alkaloid, but a peculiar, acid, acrid, resinous substance. The musennin of Theil is probably the same, although not as yet in a pure state. The Abyssinians employ the powdered bark, in the dose of about two ounces, suspended in water or other liquid, or mixed with flour in the form of bread, or made into a confection with honey, butter, etc. It is taken in the morning, three or four hours before breakfast, and no other precautions are used. It produces no pain nor any disturbance of the functions, not even purging actively. Fragments of the worm are voided the same evening, and the greater portion of it the next day.
