The New International Encyclopædia/Sparteine

SPARTEINE (from Neo-Lat. Spartium, from Lat. spartum, sparton, from Gk. σπάρτον, Spanish broom, cable). A volatile, oily liquid alkaloid obtained from the tops of the broom-plant (Cytisus Scoparius), a European shrub of the order Leguminosæ. Sparteine is odorless, very bitter, soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform, but insoluble in water. Its sulphate, which is used in medicine, is a colorless, crystalline powder, soluble in water and in alcohol. It is a cardiac stimulant, acting at times when others fail, and used under these circumstances or when it is necessary to obtain a substitute for other drugs of its class. It increases the amount of urine excreted.