Euphorbia. Euphorbia corollata.

Synonym—Large flowering Spurge.

CONSTITUENTS—

Euphorbin glucoside, resin.

PREPARATIONS—

Specific Medicine Euphorbia. Dose, from one to ten minims.

Physiological Action—Emetic, diaphoretic, expectorant, epispastic. In large doses it causes emeto-catharsis, and in some cases inflammation of the stomach and bowels.

Therapy—Though euphorbia acts as an emetic it is but little used for that purpose, being too harsh in its action, inducing hydragogue catharsis at the same time. While in extreme doses it may cause acute gastro-enteritis, in small doses it stimulates normal functional activity of the stomach, influencing the glandular function of the entire gastro-intestinal tract. In the atonic dyspepsia of enfeebled conditions of the stomach, with bad breath, bad taste in the mouth, furred tongue, anorexia and constipation with a sense of weight in the stomach, and occasional colicky pains in the bowels, it is a good remedy. Ten drops of the tincture in two ounces of water, a teaspoonful every two hours, will relieve this common train of symptoms. It has been used in cholera infantum and other summer diarrheas of children with good results. It is advised in the tenesmus of dysentery, and in the diarrhea of exhausting diseases.

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.