Taraxacum.

Synonym—Dandelion.

Part Employed—The root.

CONSTITUENTS—

Taraxacin, taraxacerin, resin, inulin, pectin.

PREPARATIONS—

Extractum Taraxaci, Extract of Taraxacum. Dose, from five to thirty grains.

Extractum Taraxaci Fluidum, Fluid Extract of Taraxacum. Dose, from one to four drams.

Specific Medicine Taraxacum. Dose, from five to sixty minims.

Physiological Action—This agent acts mildly upon the liver as a cholagogue, and in consequence its laxative influence is mild. It stimulates the flow of bile into the duodenum, and encourages the eliminative changes carried on by the liver. It encourages the proper elaboration and elimination of urea, and the excretion of uric acid.

Therapy—It is valuable in combination with other remedies of similar action, in chronic jaundice, in conditions attributable to auto-intoxication, in rheumatism and in blood disorders, as an alterative. It is especially an alterative for chronic eruptions, and unhealthy conditions of the skin.

It will stimulate the stomach, and is useful in chronic catarrhal gastritis with perversion of nutrition. In aphthous ulcerations of the mouth it is useful.

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.