Nectandra Nectan'dra Rodiae'i, Bebeeru Bark. -- The
dried bark, U.S.P. 1860-1870; S. America, Guiana. Large tree, 18-24
M. (60-80 degrees) high, bark ash-gray, smooth, leaves 12.5-15 Cm. (5-6')
long, 5-7.5 Cm. (2-3') broad, coriaceous, shining; flowers yellowish-white,
jasmine odor, wood strong (valuable in shipbuilding); fruit, subpyriform,
5-7.5 Cm. (2-3') long, bitter. Bark flat pieces 6 Mm. (1/4') thick,
.3-.6 M. (1-2 degrees) long, 10-15 Cm.(4-6') broad, many longitudinal depressions,
inside cinnamon-brown, coarsely striate, fracture granular, with stone
cells, astringent, bitter; contains bebeerine (identical with buxine, paracine,
and pelosine), siripine; wood has nectandrine. Tonic, antiperiodic,
febrifuge; intermittents, menorrhagia, leucorrhea, headache, neuralgia,
dyspepsia, consumption, in infusion, decoction. Dose, 3ss-1 (2-4
Gm.); bebeerine, gr. 1-10 (.06-.6 Gm.).
Nepeta Nep'eta Cata'ria, Cataria, Catnep, Catmint, N.F.
-- The dried leaves and flowering tops with not more than 5 p.c. of stems
over 4 Mm. (1/6') thick, or other foreign organic matter; Asia, Europe,
naturalized in United States. Perennial herb, .6-1 M. (2-3 degrees)
high: Top 10-20 CM. (4-8') long, branched, crushed and broken; stems quadrangular,
downy; leaves opposite, 2-7 Cm. (4/5-3') long, ovate, cordate, acute, crenate,
gray-green, hairy; flowers small, spikes, calyx tubular, 5-toothed, corolla
whitish, purple-dotted, bilabiate, crenulate; odor faintly aromatic, mint-like;
taste bitter, pungent, aromatic. Powder, grayish-green -- parenchyma,
palisade tissue with green plastids, numerous non-glandular hairs, glandular
hairs, stomata, few collenchyma and lignified wood-fiber bundles; solvent:
diluted alcohol; contains volatile oil, bitter principle, tannin, gum,
fixed oil, ash 16 p.c. Carminative, stimulant, tonic, diaphoretic,
emmenagogue, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac (cats); hysteria, chlorosis, colic,
amenorrhea, toothache. Dose, gr. 15-60 (1-4 Gm.); 1. Fluidextractum
Catariae (43 p.c. alcohol), dose, 3ss-1 (2-4 cc.): Prep.: 1. Elixir Catariae
et Faeniculi, 10 p.c., + ol, foenic. 1/5, ol. menth. vir., 1/10, sod. bicarb.
1 4/5, alcohol 15, syrup 20, aq. deset. q.s., 100, dose (infant), mx-30
(.6-2 cc.).
Nicotiana Nicotia'na Tabac'um, Tabacum, Tobacco. --
The commercial dried leaves, U.S.P. 1820-1890: C. And S. America (cultivated).
Coarse robust annual, 1-2 M. (3-6 degrees) high; stem erect, unbranched,
solid, green, hairy; root long, fibrous; flowers rose-color, calyx bell-shaped,
hairy, viscid, corolla 4-5 Cm. (1 3/5-2') long, tubular, inflated; fruit
ovate capsule, 2.5 Cm. (1') long, opening at summit; seed many, reniform,
reticulate, brownish. Leaves, about .5 M. (20') long, 10-15 Cm. (4-6')
wide, ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, waved, brown, friable, hairy; odor
heavy, peculiar; taste nauseous, bitter, acrid. Plant not known to
be wild, and leaves in curing undergo a sweating process (chemical change)
by which odor is modified through generation of a new volatile principle,
and amount of nicotine decreases owing to its volatility; contains nicotine
.7-5-11 p.c. (colorless oily liquid), nicoteine (nicotia) 2 p.c., nicotelline,
nicotimine, pirolidine (?), nicotianin (tobacco camphor), tannin, resin,
gum, malates, citrates, ash 14-18-27 p.c. (Ca, K, NH4 -- phosphates,
sulphates, malates, chlorides, nitrates); solvents: alcohol, hot water.
Narcotic, sedative diuretic, emetic, myotic, diaphoretic, cathartic, antiseptic;
first stimulates (causing convulsions) then paralyzes motor nervous system
(spine), produces vomiting, purging, collapse, contracted pupils, depressed
then increased heart action (rapid, feeble pulse), cold extremities, death
by paralysis of respiration and heart; excessive use causes dyspepsia,
diminished sexual power, nervousness, angina pectoris, and in the young
impairs body nutrition. So severe as to be little employed as a medicine,
but may be used to relax spasms, relieve local pain, constipation, spasmodic
asthma, tetanus, as an enema in intussusception, strangulated hernia, impacted
cecum, hemorrhoids, scabies, strychnine poisoning. Poisoning: By
tobacco or nicotine, give tannin, emetics, then strychnine (physiological
antidote), alcohol, ammonia, digitalis, belladonna, iodides, artificial
respiration, maintain recumbent position; tobacco heart (cardiac irregularity
and palpitation) -- abandon use. The toxic effect of tobacco smoke
is mostly due to nicotine, but there are present collidine, pyridine, picoline,
ethylamine, acids, etc. Dose, gr. 1/2-3 (.03-.2 Gm.); wine (vinum),
10 p.c., mv-60 (.3-4 cc.); enema tabaci, 5 p.c.; Oleum Tabaci, U.S.P. 1850-1870
(from distilling leaves -- acrid, poisonous, dark brown oil liquid); aqueous
extract, fluidextract, infusion, ointment, poultice. N. Rus'tica,
Wild Tobacco, and N. Quadrival'vis, Canada, E. United States. N.
Repan'da, Cuba. N. Per'sica, Persia. N. Rustica, cultivated
in Turkey, India, etc. All may be used similarly.
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