American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

may take a wine-glass of this every hour, until the pint is taken. It may
induce vomiting and purging, but if the bowels do not move freely, a
physic should be given near the end of the treatment, or sometimes a
glycerine enema will be sufficient. If not at first successful, the treatment
should be repeated within. a few days. When the fresh bark cannot be
obtained, the alkaloid or its salts may be resorted to. This agent has been
used in diarrhea and in colliquative night sweats. In bronchorrhea and
as a gargle in various forms of sort throat, it has produced good results. It
has been used both internally and as a douche in leucorrhea.
QUASSIA. Quassia amara.
Synonym—Simaruba Excelsa.
CONSTITUENTS—
Quassin. Dose, one-third of a grain.
PREPARATIONS—
Extractum Quassiae Fluidum, Fluid Extract of Quassia. Dose, from
ten minims to one dram.
Tinctura Quassiae, Tincture of Quassia. Dose, from one-half dram to
one dram.
Physiological Action—The taste of quassia is so intensely bitter that with
some patients it acts as an emetic at once. It stimulates most positively
the salivary, mucous, gastric and intestinal canal. It is an anthelmintic
and parasiticide.
Specific Symptomatology—Extreme inactivity of the digestive and
assimilating organs from debility—a cessation of function from lack of
power, is an indication for the use of this remedy. The evidences are a
broad, flabby tongue, pale, thick, indented with the teeth, sometimes
heavily furred, coated with a dirty white or brownish coat, mucous
membranes of the mouth pale, anorexia, general feebleness.
Therapy—It is one of the best of what is known as “stomach bitters.” In
debility of the stomach or intestinal structures, and inactivity of the
secreting organs, the tonic effects of this agent are most pronounced. In
convalescence from severe acute disease, the conditions there often
existing are satisfactorily corrected with this remedy.
Many forms of dyspepsia depending purely upon atonicity, are cured by
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 367