_Cascarilla Bark._
QUALITIES. _Form_, curled pieces, or rolled up into short quills; its
fracture is smooth and close, of a dark brown colour; _Odour_, light and
agreeable; when burning, it emits a smell resembling that of musk, which
at once distinguishes it from all other barks. _Taste_, moderately
bitter, with some aromatic warmth. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. Mucilage,
bitter extractive, resin, volatile oil, and a large proportion of woody
fibre; neither _Cinchonia_ nor _Quina_ has hitherto been discovered in
it. SOLUBILITY. Its active constituents are partially extracted by
alcohol and water, and completely by proof spirit. MEDICINAL USES.
Carminative and tonic; it is an excellent adjunct to cinchona, rendering
it by its aromatic qualities more agreeable to the stomach, and
increasing its powers. It is valuable in dyspepsia and flatulent cholic,
in dysentery and diarrhœa, and in the gangrenous thrush peculiar to
children. FORMS OF EXHIBITION. It is most efficacious in substance; it
may however be given in the form of infusion, or tincture. Decoction
dissipates its aromatic principle; the extract therefore merely acts as
a simple bitter. See _Infus. Cascarillæ_. DOSE of the powder, grs. xij
to ʒss. OFFICINAL PREPARATIONS. _Infus. Cascarill._ L. _Tinct.
Cascarill._ L.D. _Extract. Cascarill._ D.