Infusum Calumbae. Br. Infusion of Calumba.
Related entries: Calumba
Infusion of Columbo; Tisane de Colombo, Fr.; Kolombo-Infusion, Kolomboaufguss, G.; Infusion de Colombo, Sp.
"Calumba Root, cut small, 50 grammes; Distilled Water, cold, 1000 millilitres. Infuse in a covered vessel for half an hour; strain." Br.
The infusion of calumba is likely to spoil very quickly, especially in warm weather. Calumba contains starch and albumen. Cold water extracts the latter without the former; hot water the former with comparatively little of the latter, which is partially coagulated by the heat. Both starch and albumen are liable to spontaneous change, but the former is much the more permanent of the two. Hence it is, according to Greenish, that the hot infusion keeps best. Indeed, he ascribes the change which takes place in the starch of the hot infusion chiefly to the agency of a little albumen which has escaped coagulation. According to these views, the best plan of preparing infusion of calumba is to exhaust the root with cold water, by which the starch is left behind, and then to heat the infusion to the boiling point in order to coagulate the albumen. (A. J. P., xviii, 141; from P. J.) Upon comparing specimens of the cold and hot infusion, we have not found the results of Greenish fully confirmed. The cold infusion appeared to keep better than the hot. Nevertheless the plan of preparing the infusion above proposed is probably the best. The infusion of calumba is not colored by salts of iron, and may be conveniently administered in connection with them.
Dose, one fluidounce (30 mils), three or four times a day.
