The Parent Plant 1 1 



1.3: Medical Applications of Colchicine 



Hippocrates louiulccl modern medicine; lie swept away many 

 mystical concepts, introduced new explanations tor disease, and lelt 

 a profound inlluence upon the medical profession. About three oi" 

 four hundred drugs were kept in his materia medica, some of them 

 introduced from the East where he was a visitor. The ritual of magic 

 and charm was eliminated as much as possible, but his direct con- 

 tacts with Hindu medicine did leave impressions. He made no refer- 

 ence to a specific treatment for gout, although he was familiar with 

 the ailment called podagra'^'^ in various aspects. It is possible that the 

 bitter hermodactyls were a part of his materia medica. 



A History of Plan is j)rej)ared by Theophrastus (.872?-285 r..c.) de- 

 scribed five hundred plants'" for medicinal use. This study marks a 

 new age. \\hich continued the advancement of medicine started by 

 Hippocrates. Gout was a familiar disease in Theophrastus' day, but 

 he does not record specifically the form of drug for treating the dif- 

 ficidty. However, Theophrastus gave stern warning that the bitter 

 hermodactyls were jjowerful poisons. There can he no doubt that 

 the practice of medicine was enlarged by the work of Theophrastus. 



I he first materia medica with accurate descriptions was firmly 

 established by Dioscorides in the first century a.d. He showed an ac- 

 quaintance with the studies of Theophrastus and gave many new 

 details from his private observations that became useful to j>rac- 

 ticing doctors. Colchicon was very poisonous and in its place the 

 Ephemeyo)! was recommended for those "tumors" that had not yet 

 "spread into the body." This same plant, the Ephemeron, was advo- 

 cated by Galen in the second century a.d. The Colcliiciim treatment 

 for gout may have been advocated by Galen because the bitter hermo- 

 dactyls were listed in his materia medica and he was well acquainted 

 with gout. The heiinodactyls and Ephemeron are both members of 

 the Colchiciitn genus. 



Aretaeus, the Cappadocian, contemporary with Galen, clearly 

 recognized podagra and ncjticed that many remedies were advocated. 

 He obser\ed innumerable remedies were suggested for gout; in fact, 

 this calamity usually made the jiatient "an expert druggist." ^•* 

 Many j^lants were dispensed from the pharmacist. In light of the 

 widespread distribution of colchicine-j)roduc ing sjiecies, a large selec- 

 tion might have been in the hands of the druggists. 



About this same time, the "Doctrine of Signatures" was j>romoted 

 by Pliny, ^'■' who also made his mark upon medical thought. Plants 

 were chosen for a specific disease by means of suggestive associations. 

 For instance, saxifrages grew among rocks; iheielore kidney stones 



