528 ANNUAL RECOKD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Dr. Albert Robin has lately received the sum of 1500 francs, 

 from the Barbier prize, for an essay upon the applications of 

 this substance ; and, in addition to the determination of the 

 facts just mentioned, he has shown that in the amount of 

 perspiration thus j^roduced there is an elimination of urea of 

 about one gramme, and of chlorides of about one gramme 

 and a half. Experiments have been tried also upon dogs 

 and guinea-pigs, which, as not being provided with sudorific 

 o-lands, irave no result, and even with horses, which have such 

 apparatus, no satisfactory experiment could be made. A secre- 

 tion of saliva, according to Robin, commences and continues 

 equally with that of perspiration, and he determined an elim- 

 ination of 400 to 500 grammes in about two hours an amount 

 forty times that of natural salivation. The saliva proved to 

 be viscid, very alkaline, and charged with mineral salts, es- 

 pecially the carbonates and chlorides. The secretions of 

 tears, and of the bronchial and nasal mucus, are somewhat 

 increased, but much less in proportion than the others men- 

 tioned. The occasional nausea produced by the application 

 of Jaborandi is due, according to Robin, to the swallowing 

 of the saliva, which should therefore be carefully avoided. 

 The urinal secretion was slightly diminished by the use of 

 this drug. The therapeutic value of Jaborandi, the author 

 considers very great, and among other applications is the 

 treatment of acute articular rheumatism, in which, in near- 

 ly everj'- instance, there was a notable diminution of pain 

 during and after its action, a better sleep, and a decided de- 

 crease in the duration of the malady after two or three ad- 

 ministrations for several days. Three patients who had 

 muscular rheumatism were promptly relieved ; two were 

 cured of pneumonia, and the third case was fatal from causes 

 beyond the reach of any medicine ; very favorable results 

 were produced in cases of bronchitis and asthma ; and in 

 twelve cases of Bright's disease, every one received a decided 

 benefit from the treatment. Another paper on Jaborandi, 

 which likewise received a prize of 1500 francs from the 

 Academy of Sciences, was that by Hardy, upon the active 

 principle of Jaborandi, which he calls pilocarpine. This is 

 an alkaloid, solvable in water and in alcohol. It has been 

 isolated, but not yet actually obtained in a crystallized form. 

 So far as can be judged, the alkaloid contains all the active 



