Digitalis (dij-it-a'lis). 1

Foxglove; a genus of the scrophulariaceae, indigenous in Europe and in western and middle Asia. 2. Of the U. S. Ph., the leaves of D. purpure a. The chemistry of d. is still very obscure, despite a vast amount of study devoted to it. The leaves of D. purpure a probably contain: digitoxin, the most active principle of d., in small amount; digit ale in, a soluble active glucosid; digit in, inactive; digitonin, a sapotoxin; and a small amount of true digitalin. Alcohol and water both exhaust the leaves, hence the infusion and the tincture differ mainly in degree of activity, contrary to common belief. The tincture also contains all of the digitonin of the leaf since this substance is soluble in dilute alcohol. D. is used mainly for its action on the heart, which it stimulates to contract more forcibly, while the rate is slowed. List of poisons and their antidotes, see in appendix, page 938. d. folia. The dried leaves of D. purpure a [Br. Ph.]. D. purpure a. The foxglove; a biennial or perennial European species cultivated in the United States, extractum d. Made by evaporating the fluidextract to a pilular consistence [U. S. Ph.]. extractum d. fluidum. A fluidextract of d. leaves [U. S. Ph.]. folia d., herb a d. The leaves of D. purpure a. infusum d. An infusion representing 1.5 per cent. [U. S. Ph.] or 0.7 per cent. [Br. Ph.] of d. semen d. The seeds of D. purpure a, tinctura d. A 10 per cent. [U. S. Ph.] [Br. Ph.] tincture of d. leaves. tinctura d. etherea. An ethereal tincture of d. leaves [Ger. Ph. 1st ed.] [Lat., from digit us, finger, because of its finger shaped corolla.]