472

QUASSIA

A plant of the north of Europe. (Decan-iJria Dygynia, Linn. ; Ericin^œ, Juss. ;Fig. CEd. Fl. Dan. t. 110 )

The herb (Herba Pyrolte) is employed.It consists of a bundle of radical leaves,

round, green, and coriaceous, having longfootstalks. It is without odour, but has abitter and somewhat styptic taste.It was formerly esteemed vulnerary.

QUASSIA AMARA, Linn.— QUASSIA.

Synonimes :—Quassie, Bois de Surinam,Fr. ; Quassienholz, Americanisches Bit-terholz, Germ. ; Drzewo kwassya, Pol.

Lond. ; Edinb. ; Dubl.; Amer. ; Amst. ;Ant. ; Batav. ; Bavar. ; Belg. ;Bruns. ; Dan. ; Gall.; Fenn. ; Ferr. ;Fuld. ; Genev. ; Hamm. ; Hann. ;Hass. ; Lipp. ; Olden. ; Pol. ; Lusit. ;Borus. ; Ross.; Sax.; Sdec; Wir-tem.; Herbip.; Wurceb.

A tree of Surinam (Decandria Monogynia,Linn. ; Sirnaroubece, Jüss. ; Fig. Desc. Fl.Ant. I. 5)

The wood of the trunk and especially ofthe root is employed. It comes to us, inits hark, in pieces of various dimensions,sometimes scarcely of the thickness of thelittle finger, sometimes of the thickness ofthe arm, several feet long, cylindrical andsmooth, or cloven lengthwise, usuallystraight, seldom curved, sometimes knottyand branched. The bark is of a yellowish-grey colour, not thick, smooth to the touch,and slightly adherent to the wood. The lat-ter, is of a yellowish-white colour, light,soft in the interior. It is free from odour,but is extremely bitter.

Its bitterness is owing to a peculiar prin-ciple, quassine.

This wood is also attributed to the Quas-sia excelsa, Sw. ; a tree of Jamaica. (Fig.Comm. Hort. I. p. 149. t. 942)

It is a tonic, and stomachic, and is usedin dyspepsia, diarrhoea, and haemorrhages.— Dose, of the powder, from a scruple tohalf a dram.

aqueous extract of quassia.

Extraction Quassia>. (Amer. ; Amst. ; Ant.;Bavar.; Bruns.; Hann.; Hass.;Olden. ; Pol. ; Lusit. ; Ross. ; Sax.;Herbip. ; Coxe ; Piderit)

R.

Quassia Shavings,Cold Water,

one pound,ten pounds.

Macerate for two days, occasionally agi-tating ; then strain, set aside and decantthe liquor, and finally evaporate it over aslow lire. (Pol.)

R. Quassia Shavings, any quantity.

Boil it in a sufficient quantity of waterfor an hour; then express, set aside, anddecant the liquor, and finally evaporate itto the consistence of thick hone} - . (Her-bip.)

Lusit. prescribes one pound of wood andsix pounds of water.

R. Quassia Shavings, one pound.

Spring Water, six pounds.

Digest for four days in a warm place,then boil a little ; express the decoction,and evaporate it to the consistence of anextract. (Bruns.)

Amer. ; Hass. ; Coxe ; and Pideritdirect one pound of wood to be boiled ineight pounds of water till reduced to onehalf.

R. Quassia Shavings, one pound.

Boiling Water, eight pounds.

Digest for twenty-four hours, then boilfor a quarter of an hour, and strain ; boilthe residue for a quarter of an hour withfour pounds of water, and strain again.Mix the decoctions, set apart, decant, andevaporate. (Ant.)

Amst. ; Dan. ; Hann. ; Olden. ; Pol. ;Borus. ; Ross. ; and Sax. direct one partof wood to be boiled for several times suc-cessively in ten parts of water, and themixed decoctions to be evaporated. — Ba-var. — one part of wood to be first boiledwith five and then with fifteen parts ofwater, and the mixed liquors evaporated.

Dose, from ten to fifteen grains.

ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF QUASSIA.

Extracturn Quassia; alcoholicum. (Fuld. ;Lipp.)

R. Quassia Shavings, one pound.

Proof Spirit, six pounds.

Digest for several days at a moderateheat ; then express and filter the tincture,and evaporate it to the consistence ofhoney ; boil the residue with three poundsof water, and express, filter, and evaporatein the same manner. Mix the liquors, andfinally evaporate to the consistence of ex-tract. (Fuld.)