236 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



out great uneasiness, the symptoms were soon relieved 

 by pareira, and the ulcer at length healed by joining to 

 it balsam of copaiba." 



After an eventful botanical record embracing con- 

 siderable discussion as well as confusion with some other 

 drugs, during which pareira brava enjoyed professional 

 conspicuity in Europe, it dropped from general use, 

 the extravagant pretensions long made for it being" now 

 practically forgotten. 



PEPO (Pumpkin Seed) 



Introduced in 1860. Official in all later editions, including 

 that of 1910. 



The seed of the pumpkin, Cucurbita Pepo, in the form 

 of an infusion as well as in a pulpy mass, has been long a 

 favorite home remedy for intestinal parasites, a use 

 that introduced it to the medical profession. But al- 

 though physicians have used pumpkin seed somewhat 

 in this direction, they as a rule now prefer other reme- 

 dial agents, santonin being employed for round worms, 

 and pomegranate bark for tape worms. Many years 

 ago this writer endeavored to identify the active prin- 

 ciple of pumpkin seed, but met discouraging results. 

 It was demonstrated that an infusion or decoction 

 devoid of fat and fibers was inert. The action is seem- 

 ingly either mechanical, (like that of powdered tin), or 

 the processes he employed to discover a soluble agent 

 were faulty. 



PHYSOSTIGMA (Calabar Bean, Ordeal Bean) 



First mentioned in U. S. P. in 1870. Official in all later 

 editions, through 1910. 



The plant that yields Calabar bean, Physostigma 

 venenosum, is a woody African vine, described by Bal- 



