Guest guest Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 From King's American Dispensatory by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D., 1898. It is a wonderful book. Also available online in E-book form at Henriette Kress' Herbal Page: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/main.html *Smile* Chris (list mom) http://www.alittleolfactory.com <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/line.gif> Taraxacum (U. S. P.)—Taraxacum. " The root of Taraxacum officinale, Weber, gathered in autumn " —(U. S. P.) (Leontodon taraxacum, Linné; Taraxacum Dens-leonis, Desfontaines; Taraxacum vulgare, Schrank). Nat. Ord.—Compositae. COMMON NAMES AND SYNONYM: Dandelion, Dandelion root; Taraxaci radix. ILLUSTRATION: Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, 159. Botanical Source.—This plant is an herb with a perennial, tap-shaped, very milky root, with a dull-brownish epidermis. The leaves are radical, numerous, spreading, of a bright, shining green, quite smooth, tapering downward, sessile, pinnatifid, with runcinate, sharp, unequally toothed lobes. The scape or flower-stem is longer than the leaves, erect, round, smooth, brittle, naked, hollow, 5 or 6 inches in height, and bears a single, yellow head. The flowers are of a uniform golden-yellow, in round heads, 1 1/2 inches in diameter, expanding in the morning and fine weather only. Involucre double; external scales small, closely pressed, and spreading or reflexed; internal ones in one row, erect, and linear; all frequently callous-horned at the apex. Florets numerous, strap-shaped, equal, and 5-toothed. Stamens with hair-like filaments. Receptacle naked, convex, and dotted. Ovary obovate; style slender and cylindrical; stigmas 2, revolute. Achenia oblong, ribbed, roughened on the ribs, apex prolonged into a very slender, thread-like beak, bearing the pappus of copious, soft, and white capillary bristles. After blossoming the inner involucre closes for a time, the slender beak elongates and raises up the pappus while the fruit is forming, the whole involucre is then reflexed, exposing to the wind the naked fruits, with the pappus displayed in an open globular head, nearly 2 inches in diameter (L.—G.—W.). History and Description.—This plant is a native of Greece, but is now found growing abundantly in Europe and this country, in fields, gardens, and along roadsides, flowering from April to November. There are some other species recognized by botanists, that appear to possess the same medicinal powers. The young leaves are frequently used as a salad or greens. The whole plant, when broken or wounded, exudes a white, bitter juice, the sensible qualities of which are said to be greater during period of inflorescence. The root only is the official part, and should be collected while the plant is in flower, or preferably in autumn. When recent, it is from 3 to 5 inches or more in length, from 3 to 9 lines in diameter, tap-shaped, fleshy, dull-yellow or brownish externally, white internally, inodorous, and bitter. As found dried in pharmacy, it is considerably diminished in size, having lost more than half its weight, and corrugated lengthwise. As required by the U. S. P., it is slightly conical, about 30 Cm. (12 inches) long, and 1 or 2 Cm. (2/5 to 4/5 inch) thick above, crowned with several short, thickish heads, somewhat branched, dark-brown, longitudinally wrinkled, when dry breaking with a short fracture, showing a yellowish, porous central axis, surrounded by a thick, white bark, containing numerous milk-vessels, arranged in concentric circles; inodorous, bitter. It should be free from the root of Cichorium Intybus, Linné (Nat. Ord.—Compositae), which closely resembles it, but is usually paler, and has the milk-vessels in radiating lines " —(U. S. P.). Dandelion root should preferably be used in the recent state. Drying, as well as long boiling, impairs its virtues. Alcohol or boiling water extracts its properties. Chemical Composition.—Taraxacum root contains inulin, the quantities of which vary considerably with the season. Dragendorff (1870) found 24 per cent in root collected in October, and only 1.74 per cent in root collected in March, shortly before blooming, at which season the milky juice is abundant. The root also contains variable quantities of reducing sugar (17 per cent in March), and laevulin (18.7 per cent). (See constituents at various seasons, by L. E. Savre, in Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc., 1893, p. 82; also paper, by Charles Symes, in Pharm. Jour. Trans., Vol. X, 1872, p. 361.) Other constituents of taraxacum root are a resin, soluble in chloroform and ether, insoluble in alcohol; a resin soluble in alcohol; taraxacerin of Kromayer (1861), a white waxy substance, crystallizing in cauliflower-like formations, and taraxacin (Polex, 1839), a bitter, amorphous principle, which, in concentrated solutions, forms precipitates with a number of alkaloidal reagents. Kromayer obtained these two principles from the inspissated milky juice of the root (leontodonium) by treating it with hot water. This leaves taraxacerin undissolved, which may then be obtained pure by recrystallization from hot alcohol. Prof. Sayre (Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc., 1897, p. 223) assigns to it the formula C9H15O. The aqueous extract of leontodonium contains the bitter principle; this is abstracted by charcoal, and the latter boiled out with alcohol. The latter is distilled off, the residue dissolved in water, precipitated by means of basic lead acetate, the lead removed from the filtrate by hydrogen sulphide, and the solution evaporated to dryness, and an acrid resin removed by ether. The residue is bitter taraxacin. (For a bibliography of taraxacum, see L. E. Sayre, Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc., 1876, p. 16-5.) A. van Zwaluwenburg and M. Gomberg (Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc., 1899, p. 305) also observed the presence of minute quantities of a substance giving alkaloidal reactions; however, the authors doubt its alkaloidal nature. Other constituents of taraxacum root, at least of partly fermented extracts, are calcium lactate and mannite. The leaves and stems, according to Marmé (1864), contain the sugar inosite. The incinerated root leaves 5 to 7 percent of ash. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Dandelion root, when dried, possesses but little medicinal virtue; when recent, it is a stomachic and tonic, with slightly diuretic and aperient actions. It has long been supposed to exert an influence upon the biliary organs, removing torpor and engorgement of the liver as well as of the spleen. It is also reputed beneficial in dropsies, owing to want of action of the abdominal organs, in uterine obstructions, chronic diseases of the skin, and impairment of the digestive functions. It should not be used by those whose digestive organs are weak, as it is apt to occasion dyspepsia, flatulence, pain, and diarrhoea. The addition of cream of tartar to its decoction will render it more diuretic and laxative. Prof. King states that, as far as his experience with this article had gone, he thought its virtues had been overrated. Nevertheless, it is a slow, but efficient agent when properly prepared for use. The existence of an irritable condition of the stomach or bowels, or acute inflammation, contraindicate its employment. Dose of the decoction, 1 to 2 fluid ounces; of the extract, from 5 to 30 grains; of a strong tincture of the fresh root ( troy ounce <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/troyounce.gif> viii to alcohol, 76 per cent, Oj), from 1 to 30 drops. Specific Indications and Uses.—Loss of appetite, weak digestion, hepatic torpor, and constipation. Pilulae Taraxaci Compositae.—Compound Pills of Dandelion. Preparation.—Take of bloodroot, in powder, 1 drachm; resin of podophyllum, 10 grains; extract of dandelion, 1 drachm; oil of spearmint, 5 minims. Mix the powder with the extract, add the oil, beat up thoroughly together, and divide into 50 pills. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Laxative, nauseant, and diuretic. They are of much efficacy in jaundice, hepatic diseases, and affections of the kidneys. The dose is 1 or 2 pills, 3 times a day, sufficient to produce a slight sensation of nausea. This pill is superior to the one made after the old formula (T. V. Morrow, M. D.). Decoctum Taraxaci.—Decoction of Dandelion. Preparation.—Slice and bruise 1 ounce (av.) of dried dandelion root, and boil it in 1 pint (Imp.) of distilled water for 10 minutes; strain, and pour upon the residue in the strainer enough distilled water to make the finished product measure 1 pint (Imp.). This is in accordance with the British Pharmacopoeia. A little orange peel added at the end of the boiling period, is said to increase its usefulness. It does not keep well and must be freshly prepared. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—(See <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/taraxacum.html> Taraxacum.) This may be employed as a vehicle for the simple bitters. The dose is about 2 fluid ounces before meals. Preparation.—Take of bloodroot, in powder, 1 drachm; resin of podophyllum, 10 grains; extract of dandelion, 1 drachm; oil of spearmint, 5 minims. Mix the powder with the extract, add the oil, beat up thoroughly together, and divide into 50 pills. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Laxative, nauseant, and diuretic. They are of much efficacy in jaundice, hepatic diseases, and affections of the kidneys. The dose is 1 or 2 pills, 3 times a day, sufficient to produce a slight sensation of nausea. This pill is superior to the one made after the old formula (T. V. Morrow, M. D.). Extractum Taraxaci (U. S. P.)—Extract of Taraxacum. SYNONYM: Extract of dandelion. Preparation.— " Taraxacum, freshly gathered in autumn, a convenient quantity; water, a sufficient quantity. Slice the taraxacum, and bruise it in a stone mortar, sprinkling water over it from time to time, until it is reduced to a pulp; then express and strain the juice, and evaporate it in a vacuum apparatus, or in a shallow porcelain dish, by means of a water-bath, to a pilular consistence. Keep the extract in a close vessel, and cover its surface with a cloth, which ought to be moistened occasionally with a little ether or chloroform " —(U. S. P.). Description, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Dandelion root, for the above purpose, should be collected in September, October, or November. The juice procured by the above method should be evaporated in shallow vessels, by means of steam heat; but the best extract is obtained by evaporation in vacuo. In the process of the British Pharmacopoeia, the clear liquid obtained by expressing the crushed fresh root is directed to be heated to 100° C. (212° F.), and maintained at that point for 10 minutes. This is a wise provision, as the albumen contained in the juice is thereby coagulated, and may subsequently be removed by straining. In the evaporation of this extract, too much heat or too long an exposure to the air will spoil it. When the extract is good, it is brownish, not blackish, bitter and aromatic, and not sweet. A blackish-sweet extract is more or less impaired. The extract should be renewed annually, as it loses its virtues by age and exposure. Extract of dandelion is tonic, diuretic, and aperient. It is much recommended in affections of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, in dropsical diseases, etc. I have made much use of various preparations of dandelion, and the effects are far from being so decided and beneficial as the testimony of writers led me to suppose; we have several agents vastly superior to it in medicinal efficacy, in the diseases for which it is prescribed. The dose of the extract is from 10 to 60 grains, 3 times a day (J. King). Extractum Taraxaci Fluidum (U. S. P.)—Fluid Extract of Taraxacum. SYNONYM: Fluid extract of dandelion. Preparation.— " Taraxacum, in No. 30 powder, one thousand grammes (1000 Gm.) [2 lbs. av., 3 ozs., 120 grs.]; diluted alcohol, a sufficient quantity to make one thousand cubic centimeters (1000 Cc.) [33 fl troy ounce <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/troyounce.gif> , 391 minim <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/minim.gif> ]. Moisten the powder with three hundred cubic centimeters (300 Cc.) [10 fl troy ounce <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/troyounce.gif> , 69 minim <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/minim.gif> ] of diluted alcohol, and pack it firmly in a cylindrical percolator; then add enough diluted alcohol to saturate the powder and leave a stratum above it. When the liquid begins to drop from the percolator, close the lower orifice, and, having closely covered the percolator, macerate for 48 hours. Then allow the percolation to proceed, gradually adding diluted alcohol, until the taraxacum is exhausted. Reserve the first eight hundred and fifty cubic centimeters (850 Cc.) [28 fl troy ounce <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/troyounce.gif> , 356 minim <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/minim.gif> ] of the percolate; distill off the alcohol from the remainder by means of a water-bath, and evaporate the residue to a soft extract; dissolve this in the reserved portion, and add enough diluted alcohol to make the fluid extract measure one thousand cubic centimeters (1000 Cc.) [33 fl troy ounce <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/troyounce.gif> , 391 minim <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/xhtmlpics/minim.gif> ] " —(U. S. P.). Description, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—This is a red-brown, bitterish-sweet liquid. Fluid extract of dandelion may be administered in all cases when the influence of this drug upon the system is desired. The dose is 1 or 2 fluid drachms, 3 times a day. Some practitioners speak very highly of the therapeutical influence of dandelion; others, myself among the number, do not (J. King). Succus Taraxaci.—Juice of Taraxacum. SYNONYM: Juice of dandelion. Preparation.— " Bruise fresh taraxacum root; press out the juice; to every 3 volumes of juice add 1 of alcohol (90 per cent); set aside for 7 days; filter " — (Br. Pharm., 1898). Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—(See <http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/taraxacum.html> Taraxacum.) Dose, 1 to 2 fluid drachms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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