:''Euphorbium can also be a synonym of the genus

Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...

.'' Euphorbium, an acrid dull-yellow or brown resin, consisting of the concreted milky juice of several species of

, cactus-like perennial plants indigenous to Morocco. It dissolves in alcohol, ether and turpentine; in water it is only slightly soluble. It consists of two or more resins and a substance euphorbone, C₂₀H₃₆O or C₁₅H₂₄O.

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...

states that the name of the drug was given to it in honor of Euphorbus, the physician of

Juba II Juba II or Juba of Mauretania (Latin: ''Gaius Iulius Iuba''; grc, Ἰóβας, Ἰóβα or ;Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' "Routledge (UK)". pp. 1–3. . c. 48 BC – AD 23) was the son of Juba I and client ...

, king of Mauretania. In former times euphorbium was valued in medicine for its drastic, purgative and emetic properties. According to Robert Bentley's (botanist) book of Organic Medical Materials from 1887 The latex of ''

Euphorbia resinifera ''Euphorbia resinifera'', the resin spurge, is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains. The dried latex of the plant was used in ancient medicine. It contains resiniferatoxin, an extremely pote ...

'' contains

Resiniferatoxin Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is a naturally occurring chemical found in resin spurge (''Euphorbia resinifera''), a cactus-like plant commonly found in Morocco, and in '' Euphorbia poissonii'' found in northern Nigeria.

, an ultra potent

capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( or ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a chemical irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burnin ...

analog. Desensitization to resiniferatoxin is tested in clinical trials to treat neuropathic pain.

References

{{reflist Euphorbia