24 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



Louis XIV for a tape-worm cure, consisting chiefly of 

 powdered fern root. J. Peschier, 1825, a pharmacist of 

 Geneva, introduced the ethereal extract (extract by 

 ether), which was not, however, employed to any ex- 

 tent in England until the middle of the last century. 

 Its empirical record introduced male fern to the medical 

 profession. 



ASPIDOSPERMA (Quebracho) 



First recognized in 1890. Dropped from Pharmacopeia of 

 1900, but rein traduced in 1910. 



From time unrecorded this South American drug 

 has been used by the natives of its habitat as a tanning 

 material. In 1878, Schickedanz introduced it to Eu- 

 rope. The name Quebracho, (from quebrar hacho, 

 "breaking the ax," Am. Disp.), is applied to several 

 hard wood trees, but the official species from which the 

 bark is taken is Aspidosperma Quebracho bianco, 

 Schlechtendal. In 1880, Dr. August Volz (663a) made 

 a study, accompanied by microscopic sections, of Que- 

 bracho Colorado, in which he describes the quebracho 

 resin, which is probably the "quebracho gum" de- 

 scribed in 1878 by N. Pedro Arata (25a). In 1881, 

 Mr. G. Fraude (246a) gave a process of distinguishing 

 the true bark from its sophisticants. In 1879, Dr. Pen- 

 zolt (498a) gave a report on the therapeutic uses and 

 physiological action of quebracho, and in the same 

 year Dr. Burgos contributed a paper on its pharma- 

 ceutical preparations. In 1882, Dr. O. Hesse (315a) 

 made a chemical examination of the Argentine drugs, 

 obtaining from the official species several alkaloids. 

 In 1892, Mr. F. A. Thompson (635a), of Parke, Davis 

 and Company, Detroit, contributed to the American 

 Pharmaceutical Association a valuable study of many 



