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Quercus Infectoria belonging to the genus Cupuliferae |
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Sunday, 02 July 2006 |
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Cure for Diarrhea, gonorrhoea
is a tree bearing the oak galls of commerce, a native of Greece, Asia Minor extending to Persia; the galls are imported into India. They result from the pun-cture and deposit of an egg or eggs of an insect Cynips Gallae tinctoria. They are darker in colour and known as the black or blue the white or perforated galls; these being lighter in colour are inferior in quality. Galls have been much employed in India by magicians. The principal chemical constituent of galls is tannin or tannic acid ( Gallo-tannic acid) 50 to 60 or 70 per cent, and about 3 per cent of gallic acid. The galls constitute a powerful vegetable astringent. They are used as powder in doses of 10 to 20 grains, or in the form of infusion or decoction (1 in 13). Decoction is usually employed as an astringent wash, gargle, enema or injection. It may also be given internally in doses of 1 to 2 ounces thrice daily or oftener; powder is given in diarrhea, gleet and longstanding gonorrhoea, thrice daily; also in leucorrhoea and other vaginal discharges in addition to the injections of the
decoction at the same time. In the advanced stages of dysentery the decoction seems to answer better, given in doses of 1« to 2 ounces thrice daily with the addition of opium, (10 to 20 minims of laudanum) to each dose for adults only. In prolapsus (descent) of the rectum the daily use of an enema of decoction of galls proves useful and in the case of children a pad saturated with the decoction may be kept over the parts after the protruded bowel has been returned. The same treatment is applicable in cases of prolapsus of the uterus, the decoction being used as a vaginal injection. As a gargle in relaxed sore throat and enlargement of the tonsils the decoction of galls is used with the addition of 7 grains of alum and l« drachms of honey to every ounce of the decoction. An ointment of the powdered galls (1 in 4 or 5 of ghee or benzoated lard) is applied to haemorrhoids unattended by increased heat or inflammation; if there is much pain opium (1 in 16 parts of the ointment) may be added. It should be applied twice daily. Enemas of the decoctions may also be used with benefit. Tannic and Gallic acids which the galls contain are valuable styptics and astringents, useful in all internal haemorrhages, in excessive secretions from different parts of the body and for cutting short local inflammations as in various forms of sore throats, nasal catarrh and gonorrhoea. Tannic acid is used in poisoning by nux vomica, datura, opium and aconite root, after the stomach has been emptied by eme tics (the first thing to be done); decoction of galls in. doses of 3 to 4 ounces is given every quarter hour for five or six times in succession. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 July 2006 )
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