Cedron.
Cedron.—The seeds of the Simaba Cedron Planch., a tree growing in Colombia and Central America, belonging to the Simarubaceae. The fruit is a large solitary drupe, containing a single seed. Cedron seed is from 3 to 4.5 cm. long, and 1.5 to 2.5 cm. broad, elongated ovate, convex on one side, flat or slightly concave on the other, and presenting an oval scar" near one extremity of the flat surface. It is often yellowish, hard and compact, but readily cut with a knife; is inodorous, but of a pure and intensely bitter taste, not unlike that of quassia. It yields its virtues to water and alcohol. Lowry (J. P. C., xix, p. 365) separated from what he believed to be the seeds of Simaba Cedron, a crystalline substance which he named cedrin. Tanret, however, in attempting to confirm his work, was unable to obtain a crystalline substance from this plant, but he did from one closely allied to it, namely, the S. waldivia, and believed that Lowry was mistaken in the identity of his crude material. (See P. J., 1908, lxxxi, p. 103.) Cedrin is now an article of commerce in the colorless crystals. It is bitter, slowly soluble in water, more readily so in alcohol or ether.
Cedron has been used in Central America as a remedy for snake bite and Purple has recommended it as an antiperiodic. The dose of the crude drug is from five to fifteen grains (0.3-0.9 Gm.). The bitter principle cedrin has been given hypodermically in doses of one-fifteenth of a grain (0.004 Gm.).
