Children's Powder

CHILDREN'S POWDER, Pulvis pro infantibus, P. Magnesii carbonici cum Rheo (Pharmacopoeia VII), consists of 50 parts magnesium carbonate, 15 parts powdered rhubarb rhizome, and 35 parts dill elaeosaccharum; it is a light yellowish powder with the odor of dill and a bitter-sweet, astringent taste. Hufeland's children's powder, P. Hufelandi pro infantibus (Pharmacopoeia VII), is a mixture of powders: 1 part saffron, 8 parts anise seed, 24 parts iris root, 28 parts valerian rhizome, 36 parts licorice root, 16 parts magnesium carbonate. P. infantium citrinus, P. anodynus citrinus, yellow sedative children's powder, is a mixture of 20 parts official children's powder and 1 part saffron powder. P. infantium Henssler is a mixture of 15 parts magnesium carbonate, 5 parts dill elaeosaccharum, 10 parts rhubarb powder, and 2.5 parts medicinal soap. P. infantium Rosenstein is a mixture of 20 parts magnesium carbonate, 10 parts iris rhizome, 15 parts caraway fruit, 2.5 parts saffron. P. infantium Vater is a mixture of magnesium carbonate, 5 parts each of dill fruit, iris rhizome, jalap tuber, 2.5 parts potassium sulfate, 15 parts sugar, and 5 drops of anise oil. P. antacidus s. pro infantibus is a mixture of 10 parts calcium carbonate, 5 parts each of magnesium carbonate, anise elaeosaccharum, and sugar. The components of children's powder—rhubarb, magnesium carbonate, licorice root, medicinal soap, jalap, potassium sulfate—produce a laxative effect when children's powder is taken in doses of about 1.0; if the doses of children's powder are smaller (about 0.5), the medicine acts as a mild laxative; whereas if children's powder containing rhubarb is taken in a dose of about 0.25, the effect depends predominantly on the rhubarb-tannin substances, which exert an astringent effect, as a result of which bowel movements occur less frequently, and in cases of diarrhea in a child, the diarrhea may cease. Magnesium carbonate and medicinal soap are also important as neutralizers of stomach acidity. Other components of children's powder—dill oil, anise seed and oil, iris root, iris rhizome, caraway fruit—play the role of disinfectants, as well as correctives of taste and odor, thanks to their essential oils; saffron also belongs to the latter category. All children's powders are prescribed to small children in doses of 0.2–1.0 with water, often with sugar water, for elevated gastric juice acidity, digestive disorders, constipation, and diarrhea.