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SENNA (Arab. sand)
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See also:SENNA (Arab. See also:sand) , a popular purgative, consisting of the leaves of two See also:species of See also:Cassia (natural See also:order See also:Leguminosae), viz. C. acutifolia and C. angustifolia. These are small shrubs about 2 ft. high, with numerous lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate leaflets arranged pinnately do a See also:main stalk with no terminal leaflet; the yellow See also:flowers are See also:borne in See also:long-stalked racemes in the See also:leaf-axils, and are succeeded by broad flattish pods about 2 in. long. C. acutifolia is a native of many districts of See also:Nubia, e.g. See also:Dongola, See also:Berber, See also:Kordofan and Senaar, but is grown also in Timbuctoo and See also:Sokoto. The leaflets are collected twice a See also:year by the natives, the See also:principal See also:crop being gathered in See also:September after the See also:rainy See also:season and a smaller quantity in See also:April. The leaves are dried in the simplest manner by cutting down the shrubs and exposing them on the rocks to the burning See also:sun until quite dry. The leaflets then readily fall off and are packed in large bags made of See also:palm leaves, and holding about a quintal each. These packages are conveyed by camels to Assouan and Darao and thence to See also:Cairo and See also:Alexandria, or by See also:ship by way of Massowah and Suakim. The leaflets See also:form the Alexandrian senna of See also:commerce. Formerly this variety of senna was much adulterated with the leaves of Solenostemma Argel, which, however, are readily distinguishableby their minutely wrinkled See also:surface. Of See also:late years Alexandrian senna has been shipped of much better quality. Occasionally a few leaves of a similar species with broader obovate leaves, C. obovata, may be found mixed with it. C. angustifolia affords the Bombay, See also:East See also:Indian, Arabian or See also:Mecca senna of commerce. This plant grows See also:wild in the neighbourhood of See also:Yemen and Hadramaut in the See also:south of See also:Arabia, in See also:Somaliland, and in See also:Sind and the See also:Punjab in See also:India. The leaves are chiefly shipped from Mocha, See also:Aden, Jeddah and other Red See also:Sea ports to Bombay and thence to See also:Europe, the See also:average imports into Bombay amounting to about 250 tons annually, of which one-See also:half is re-exported. Bombay senna is very inferior in See also:appearance to the Alexandrian, as it frequently contains many See also: It occurs combined with See also:calcium and See also:magnesium to form soluble salts. That this is the active principle of senna is shown by the fact that the cathartate of See also:ammonia, when given separately, acts in precisely the same manner as senna itself. Cathartic acid can easily be decomposed into See also:glucose and cathartogenic acid. The leaves contain at least two other glucosides, sennapicrin and sennacrol, but as these are insoluble in See also:water, they are not contained in most of the preparations of senna. Senna also contains a little chrysophanic acid. Of the numerous pharmacopoeial preparations three must be mentioned. The confectio sennae, an admirable laxative for See also:children, contains senna, See also:coriander See also:fruit, See also:figs, See also:tamarind, cassia, pulp, prunes, See also:extract of See also:liquorice, See also:sugar and water. When coated with See also:chocolate it is known as Tamar Indien. The pulvis glycerhizae See also:coin positus contains two parts of senna in twelve. the other ingredients being unimportant. A third preparation, rarely employed nowadays, is the nauseous " See also:black See also:draught," once in high favour. It is known as the mistura sennae composita, and contains sulphate of magnesium, liquorice, cardamoms, aromatic spirit of ammonia and infusion of senna. All the preparations are made indifferently from either See also:kind of leaflet. When taken internally, senna stimulates the See also:muscular coat of the bowel in its entire length, the See also:colon being more particularly affected. As some congestion of the rectum is thereby produced, senna is contra-indicated whenever See also:haemorrhoids are See also:present. The secretions of the bowel are not markedly stimulated, and the flow of bile is only slightly accelerated. The See also:drug has the See also:advantage, for most cases, of not producing subsequent See also:constipation. The chief purgative ingredients are the cathartates already described. Partial absorption occurs, so that the colour of the urine may be darkened, and as the drug is also excreted by the active mamma it may cause purgation in a baby to whose See also:mother it has been given. Senna should not be used alone, as its See also:taste and the See also:pain induced by its muscular stimulation are both objectionable. There are many ways of using it. A few of the leaflets may be put into a dish of prunes, when a convenient aperient for children is desired. It is especially valuable in cases of atony of the colon, and the See also:compound liquorice See also:powder is safe and useful in the treatment of the constipation of pregnancy. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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