DIG!

115

Digestive* are applications which promote suppuration., and consist of

poultices and ointments.Digestive Ointments, in farriery, arc usually composed of resin?,turpentine, ccc. e. g. Take Jiv each of hogs-lard and strained tur-pentine, and Jj of verdigrise. Mix.

Or, take each ~iv of hogs-lard and Venice turpentine, 5J of finely-pow-dered sulphate of copper, or hlue vitriol. Mi*.

Or, take Jiv of ointment of yellow resin, 3J each of oil of turpentine,and of finely-powdered nitric oxide of mercury, or red preci-pitate. Mix.

Or, take Jiv each of ointment of nitrated mercury, and Jj of oil ofturpentine. Mix. (White.)Digitaline. New. An alkaline substance, procured from the leavesof Digitalis, by digesting them in ether, and treating the solutionwith hydrated oxide of lead. It is inodorous, very bitter, verydeliquescent, and very soluble in water, alcohol, and ether, and isdecomposed by heat.

Poisonous In very small doses, acting like the digitalis, whose activeprinciple it is. See Beck's Med. Jurispr.Digitalis Folia. L. E. D. P. Foxglove. Digitalis purpurea. Thedried leaves collected in July, are of a fine green colour, with littlesmell, hut a nauseous, acrid, and bitter, taste. The light and airinjure them.

Incompatible with watery preparations of Peruvian bark, and withacetate of lead and sulphate of iron.

Adulterated by the herbalists with the leaves of comfrey, verbas-cum, &c.

Medicinally digitalis is a powerful nauseant, sedative, narcotic, anddiuretic, and sometimes emetic and cathartic. It diminishes irrita-bility, lowers the pulse, and increases the action of the ab-sorbents. It is therefore often prescribed in phthisis, dropsy, pal-pitations, inflammatory disorders, active hemorrhages, and go-norrhoea.

Dose of the powder gr. j to gr. iij in form of pill, with soap, &c, gra-dually increased till it produces languor, nausea, and diuresis, whenit may be a short time discontinued, and begun again. The juice orextract is never given.

Poisonous in large doses, producing nausea, retching, hiccup, inter-mitting pulse, vertigo, delirium, syncope, and death. The best re-medies are cordials, such as brandy and water, with opium, andwhen the stomach has been evacuated, vinegar and water. Coldaffusions should also be tried, and a boiling-water blister over thestomach, applied in a bladder.

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