74 Kansas Academy of Science. 



of preparations made exactly in the same percentage of crude drugs, 

 but using drugs from difPerent sources. 



No insistence is needed on the desirability of a uniform stand- 

 ard of activity for all drugs, and especially such as contain espe- 

 cially highly active principles of highly toxic nature. In the case 

 of .some, such as cinchona, hydrastis, opium or nux vomica, such a 

 standardization is easily carried out by chemical means. These 

 drugs owe their activity to the presence of certain specific alka- 

 loids which are of such a basic nature that they unite readily with 

 acids, thus affording a means of assay. These particular alkaloids 

 are also sufficiently stable that they can withstand the action of 

 strong acids, alkalies, and quite a high heat, and can be determined 

 gravimetrically. 



There are, however, other drugs in which the active principle is 

 of such a nature that attempts at chemical investigation, if not mis- 

 leading, are unsatisfactory, even though the active principles are 

 recognized and something is known of their chemical nature. 

 Typical instances of such drugs are digitalis, strophanthus, squills, 

 ergot, cannabis indica, aconite, and others. The active principles 

 of the first three, called the "cardiac group," are of a glucosidal 

 nature, and as yet there have been no good chemical methods given 

 by which these principles can be isolated quantitatively. How- 

 ever, a very good and simple physiological method has been in use 

 for years and is used by all well-equipped manufacturing houses 

 at the present time. Until very recently it was not known that 

 ergot contained its active principle in the form of an alkaloid, and 

 heretofore it has been analyzed physiologically by its effect upon 

 the rooster's comb. Although the alkaloidal ergotoxin exists in 

 ergot, it is present in such very small quantities that it would be 

 difficult to isolate it quantitatively. 



Cannabis indica, a notoriously variable drug, is highly active, 

 but unfortunately its chemistry has not been sufficiently investi- 

 gated, so that there is a consensus of opinion among authori^ties as 

 to what its active principle is. However, the drug can be thor- 

 oughly standardized by observing the nervous symptoms produced 

 by a given dose in a dog or cat. 



Physicians and pharmacists alike have recognized the necessity 

 of some way of standardizing these preparations, and have intro- 

 duced physiological methods of assay which are being used by all 

 of the larger manufacturing houses, and it is mainly due to these 

 that methods are being perfected. 



