250 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



RESINA PODOPHYLLI (Resin of Podophyllum) 



First mentioned in the Pharmacopeia in the edition of I860. 

 Official in all later editions. The trade term, "Podophyttin," is 

 first used in the edition of 1910, in which it appears as a secondary 

 title, following Resin of Podophyttum. 



DISCOVERY. It has been erroneously stated, and 

 the misstatement frequently repeated, (later writers 

 probably copying from each other), that resin of podo- 

 phyllum was discovered in 1831 by William Hodgson, 

 Jr., and that this discovery was verified by Lewis, 1847. 

 These were the first to investigate the rhizome of podo- 

 phyllum, but the true history of their efforts may be 

 briefly stated, as follows: 



Hodgson, in 1831, 1 made an assay of the rhizome of 

 Podophyllum peltatum, employing destructive chemical 

 reagents and the heroic processes then prevailing. He 

 obtained thereby, largely, decomposition products, but 

 so far as any evidence was ever presented, Hodgson 

 failed to isolate the natural energetic resinous con- 

 stituent of podophyllum, afterward to become so con- 

 spicuous. 



In 1847, 2 Mr. John R. Lewis again investigated the 

 rhizome of podophyllum, and again applied too much 

 chemistry (a fault not altogether lost, even yet), and 

 obtained as a result a series of decomposition products, 

 among which was one of a very slight cathartic action. 

 If the resin were present in this substance, it existed 

 in very small amount, the cathartic dose, as reported 

 by Mr. Lewis, being eight grains. 



Resin of podophyllum was discovered accidentally in 

 1835 by Dr. John King, then a young physician of the 

 botanic school of medicine, and was then administered 



1 American Journal of Pharmacy. 1831, pp. 273-275. 

 American Journal of Pharmacy, 1&47, pp. 165-172. 



