Oil of Cypress.

Related entry: Cypress Oil

Oil of Cypress.—An oil derived from Cupressus sempervirens L. (Fam. Pinaceae) has been strongly recommended by Bravo in whooping cough; it is used by sprinkling the oil upon the clothes, bed, etc., of the patient.

Winterseel (In. Dis., Bonne, 1908) has studied cypress oil physiologically and finds that its action is similar to the other essential oils, but is of relatively low toxicity. When the reflexes are excited by spinal stimulants it acts as a depressant to the spinal cord. He confirms the favorable results of its inhalation in cases of whooping cough.

The Dispensatory of the United States of America, 1918, was edited by Joseph P. Remington, Horatio C. Wood and others.