Rhamnus (ram'nus)

Buckthorn, fructus rhamni catharticae. The berries of R. cathartic a. R. calif ornlca. Californian buckthorn. The bark is a purgative. R. cathartic a, R. cathartic us. Common buckthorn; a shrub indigenous to northern Africa, Europe, and northern Asia, and naturalized in North America. The drupes, or buckthorn berries, are an energetic purgative. The bark is also strongly purgative and, when fresh, emetic. R. frangula. Alder buckthorn; growing in northern Africa, in northern and middle Asia, and throughout Europe except in the far north. The dried bark, the frangula of the U. S. Ph. and Br. Ph., is analogous in its action to rhubarb, though, when fresh, it is very irritant to the gastro-intestinal tract, producing vomiting and purging accompanied by much pain. R. purshiana, R. purshianus. 1. California bearberry. 2. The bitter bark known as cascara sagrada. It is analogous in properties to R. frangula. The fluidextract, the aromatic fluidextract, and the extract of cascara sagrada are official in the U. S. Ph. and the N. F. gives formulae for an elixir, a compound elixir, and an alkaline fluidextract [U. S.