9955. Veratrine (Mixture)

Description and references

This veratrine is a mixture of the alkaloids cevadine, veratridine, cevadilline, sabadine, cevine from seeds of Schoenocaulon officinale (Schlecht & Cham.) A. Gray, Liliaceae.

Properties

White or grayish-white powder. mp 145-155°. One gram dissolves in about 1800 ml water, 1000 ml boiling water, 2.8 ml alcohol, 0.7 ml chloroform, 4.2 ml ether, 80 ml olive oil; freely sol in dil acids, benzene, amyl alcohol, slightly in glycerol; insol in petr ether.

Caution

Poisonous! Exceedingly irritating to mucous membranes, causing violent sneezing when inhaled.

Therapeutic Category

Topical counterirritant.

Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)

Has been used as emetic, ruminatoric.