PILOCARPUS 243 



PILOCARPUS (Pilocarpus, Jaborandi) 



Official from 1880 to 1910. Not mentioned in U. S. P. in 

 editions earlier than 1880. The U. S. P., 1910, makes official 

 the leaves of Pilocarpus Jaborandi, (Pernambuco Jaborandi of 

 commerce) or of Pilocarpus microphyllus (Maranham Jaborandi). 



Pilocarpus Jaborandi is a shrub native to Eastern 

 Brazil, where Piso (511) of Holland, 1643, first men- 

 tions its use as a modifier of the infusion of ipecac. 

 Plumier, 1693, (515), also refers to the mixture, de- 

 scribing therein two varieties of Jaborandi. About 

 1854, Lemaire described Pilocarpus pennatifolius, then 

 of botanical interest only. Its conspicuous introduction 

 to medicine occurred in 1874, when Dr. Coutinho (170), 

 of Pernambuco, from observing its native uses, made 

 its qualities as a sialagogue known to the medical world. 

 The name Jaborandi is given in South America to a 

 number of shrubs belonging to the Rutacece and Pipera- 

 cece, the leaves of many of which are exported under the 

 common term, "Jaborandi." In our opinion, the name 

 "Jaborandi" should be either abandoned hi medicine, 

 or confined exclusively to the dried leaflets of the official 

 species, Pilocarpus microphyllus, Stapf, and Pilocarpus 

 Jaborandi, Hohnes, which alone are recognized in the 

 Pharmacopeias of 1900 and 1910. 



In commerce, many meaningless terms are affixed to 

 the drug, such as Pernambuco Jaborandi, Paraguay 

 Jaborandi, Maranham or Small Jaborandi, Ceari Jab- 

 orandi, Aracati Jaborandi, Rio Janeiro Jaborandi, all 

 relating to either the country where the drug is grown, 

 the part of South America from which it is exported, 

 or the common name applied by the people. It may be 

 confidently stated that unless one is versed in botany 

 and pharmacology, and indeed is experienced in the 

 special field of the drug known as "Jaborandi," he may 



