ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
{American Journal oj
Feucldwavger.T ,. e Pectin (a tarce Portion).
Je "y....... \ Stare*.
Oxalate of lirne.
Compounds of Slllphur, chiorino, and bromine.
No fungic, boietic, or lichenic aeids.
Entd. in d. Mat. Med. 1837,) and by Feuchtwanger.Science and Arts, xxvi.)
Herberger.
Vegetable jelly.............................. 701
Mucus...................................... t)-5
Tworesins........................ ......... 07
Fatty matter and free aeids. ■................ traces
Chlorides ofsodi um and calcium, potash, lime,
&c........................................ traces
No traces of iodine or bromine Gould bc recog-
nized. 1
Carrageenin. —The mucilnginous matter (called by sonie writers Vegetalle Jelly, by otbersPectin,) appears to me to be a peeuliar substance, wliicb I sball term Carrugeenin. It is solu-ble in boiling water, and its Solution forms a preeipitate with diacetate of lead and Silicate ofpotash, and, if sufBciently concentrated, gelatinizes on eooling. Carrageenin is distinguisliedfrom ordinary gum by its aqueous Solution not producing a preeipitate on the addllion of aleo-hol; from starch, by its not assuining a blue colonr with tineture of iodine; fromanimal jelly,by tineture of nutgalls causing no preeipitate; from pectin, by acetate of lead not throwingdown any thing; as well as by no nmieic aeid being formed by the action of nitrie aeid. Dr.Lucac (Berlin. Jahrb. xxxiv. Abth. i.) regards carrageenin as more elosely rescmbling animaljelly than any olher substance.
Chemicai, Characteristics. —The presence of carageenin in the decoctionis demonstrated bv the tests just enumerated. No iodine is recognizable by nitrieaeid and starch, Oxalate of ammonia detects lirne (or calcium) in Solution,while nilrate ofsilver points out the presence of chlorine. Guißourt (Journ. de .Chim. Med. viii. 663,) could recognize neither sugar nor magnesia.
Physiological Effects. —Chondrus crispus is nutritive, very digestible,emolüent, and demulcent.
Uses. —It is a populär remedy for pulmonary complaints (especially of aphthisical character, chronic diarrheea and dysentery, scrofula, rickeis, enlargedmesenteric glands, Irritation of bladder and kidneys, &c. As a culinary arlicleit is employed as a Substitute for animal jelly, in the preparation of blanc-mange,jellies, white soup, &c.
Administration. —It is usually exhibited in the form of decoction or jelly.
1. DECOCTUM CIIONML—Macerate half an ounce of carrageen incold or warmwater, during ten minutes ; then boil in three pints of water, for a quarter of anhour. Strain through linen. Milk may be substituted for water when the de-coction is required to be very nutritious. By doubling the quantity of carrageena mucüage is procured. Sugar, lemon juice, tineture of orange-peel, or aroma-tics, as cinnamon or nutmeg, may be employed as flavouring ingredients.
2. GEL ATINA CIIONDRI.—Prepared by concentrating the decoction, or by employ-ing a larger quantity of carrageen.
3. GIGARTI'NA HELMINTHOCOR'TON, Grev.— CORSICAN MOSS.Sex. Syst. Cryptogamia, Alga;.(Planta, Offic.)
History. —This plant has been in use for several centuries among the nativesof Corsica, as a remedy for intestinal Worms. In 1756, Vaucher sent it to Paris. 3
Botany. Gen. char.— Frond horny or cartilaginous, filiform, cylindrical,irregularly branched. Fructification uniform; spherical, sessile capsules con,-taining a globose mass of seeds [sporules ?] (Grevilk.
Sp. char.— Frond cartilaginous, terete, tufted, entangled. Stern filiform creep-ing : branches setaeeous, somewhat dichotomous marked indistinctly with trans-verse streaks.
Hab.—The Mediterranean Sea, on the shores of Corsica.
Physicai Properties.— Under the name of Corsican moss is sold in the
J yiZ e i ec , C e"!,V y bo,h brolne and iodine Ilave been de 'ected in this plant (Pharmaceutisches Central Blatt,für Jö.iu, te. 15iJ).
a J. P. Schwendimann, in Schlegel'» Thesayrue Mat. Med. t. iii. p. 181.