AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ECHINACEA THERAPY 



By James F. Couch and Leigh T. Giltner, Pathological Division, Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, United States Department of Agriculture 



INTRODUCTION 



The use of echinacea as a remedy for various disorders in both human 

 beings and animals is said to have originated with the American Indians, 

 from whom the early settlers in the West learned of the "virtues" of 

 the plant. 1 



In 1885 Dr. H. C. F. Meyer, of Pawnee City, Nebr., sent a specimen 

 of the plant to Prof. Lloyd. It was identified as Echinacea angustifolia 

 (DC). Dr. Meyer was using the root of this plant in a secret mixture 

 which he called "Meyer's Blood Purifier," and the claims which he made 

 for the curative properties of the root are described as " most exaggerated." 

 Indeed, he had such confidence in it that he offered to submit to repeated 

 bites of rattlesnakes, proposing to demonstrate the remedial power of 

 echinacea against this venin by using his preparation of the root as an 

 antidote. This offer was, of course, refused, but the drug was studied by 

 Dr. John King, Prof. H. T. Webster, and others, with the result that clinical 

 evidence was obtained which appeared to substantiate some of the claims 

 of Dr. Meyer. Preparations of the plant were placed on the market, 

 and the medicinal use of echinacea increased rapidly. Many physicians 

 have reported favorable results from its use in various diseases. 



In 1909 a report (j) of the Council on Chemistry and Pharmacy of the 

 American Medical Association denied echinacea a place in "New and 

 Non-Official Remedies" and directed suspicion at the value of the drug, 

 stating : 



In view of the lack of any scientific scrutiny of the claims made for it, echinacea 

 is deemed unworthy of further consideration until more reliable evidence is presented 

 in its favor. 



In spite of this the use of echinacea has become extensive. Lloyd states 

 that it is used in largei quantities than any other American drug intro- 

 duced since 1 887. The fluid extract and tincture are made in enormous 

 quantities, and the root enters into the composition of a large number of 

 patent, proprietary, and nonsecret mixtures. 



The last revision of the National Formulary includes a description of 

 echinacea and furnishes a formula for its fluid extract (r, p. 74, 294). 

 This amounts to a quasi official recognition of the drug. It has never 

 been official in the United States Pharmacopoeia. 



1 The historical facts about echinacea have been obtained almost wholly from published accounts by 

 Meyer (75) and Lloyd (11, 12, 13). Reference is made by number (italic) to "Literature cited," p. 83-84. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XX, No. 1 



Washington, D. C. Oct. 1, 1920 



vb Key No. A-52 



(63) 



