Juglans. Juglans cinerea.

Botanical name: 

Synonym—Butternut.

CONSTITUENTS—
A resin, juglandin, a fixed oil, juglandic acid.
PREPARATIONS—
Extractum Juglandis Fluidum, Fluid Extract of Juglans. Dose, from one minim to one-half dram.
Tinctura Juglandis, Tincture of Juglans. Dose, from five minims to one dram.
Specific Medicine Juglans. Dose, from one-third to one minim; prescribed from ten drops to one-half dram in four ounces of water, a teaspoonful every one, two or three hours.
Juglandin. Dose, from one-fifth of a grain to one grain.

Physiological Action—Experiments with the drug have ascertained that it influences, with great energy, the liver, small intestines, colon and rectum, causing an increased manufacture and elimination of bile, as well as increased activity of the glands of the intestinal tract. Full doses produce large bilious evacuations, without much pain or griping, in which respect its action very much resembles that of iris versicolor.

Therapy—It is said to be a valuable remedy in duodenal catarrh, with torpidity of the liver and chronic jaundice. Small doses have been successfully employed in dysentery, bilious diarrhoea, and in intestinal diseases, with symptoms indicating irritability, hyperemia, or a tendency to inflammation. Chronic constipation can be successfully corrected by medium doses of the extract, if the affection depends upon defective elimination of bile, causing the stools to be clay-colored and dry from a lack of biliary and glandular secretion.

Combined with other agents, as hyoscyamus, belladonna, nux vomica, leptandra or capsicum, a most excellent pill can be made, which will cure many cases the above conditions, and will stimulate the stomach and intestinal tract, in those atonic or debilitated conditions which induce chronic dyspepsia.

In the skin disorders named under dandelion, pustular and eczematous, it will act in the same manner as dandelion, and may be advantageously combined with that agent.

It is specifically adapted to skin diseases associated with some abnormal condition of the intestinal tract. Eczema, herpes circinatus, acne, impetigo, pemphigus, rupia, prurigomoluscum, lichen and chronic scaly skin diseases, yield to its influence with appropriate auxiliary measures. Irritation of mucous membranes, chronic inflammation of the throat, eruption over the body like that of scarlatina, noli me tangere, scrofulous enlargement of glands, congestion and irritation of the respiratory and gastric mucous membranes, nursing sore mouth, ulcers in the mouth with constipation, rheumatism of the muscles in the lumbar region, yield to its influence.

Juglans cinerea has proved to be curative of a great variety of skin diseases, whether scaly or pustular, whether characterized by papules or bullae, as stated above, so long as the lesion is associated with some disorder of digestion and assimilation

It is analogous to arsenic in its action in squamous affections, and to Sulphide of calcium in pustular diseases of the skin.

It may be used to advantage, both locally and internally, in chronic and illconditioned ulcers, stimulating waste and improving nutrition.

In the treatment of skin diseases with Juglans, a saturated tincture of the fresh inner bark should be employed in small doses, at the same time that the remedy is used as a local application. In obstinate cases of chronic eczema, the local use of the juice of the fresh inner bark has hastened the cure.

In bowel complaints of infants and children, in the constipation of nursing women, and in the commencing stages of diarrhea and dysentery the syrup may be used, while the extract is the best form of the remedy as a cathartic in intermittent fever, and whenever the remedy is employed as a cathartic.

Juglans may be given in conjunction with berberis, phytolacca, or podophyllin when there are disorders that are induced by occipital headaches.


The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.