254 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



North Bend, Ohio, June 15, 1887. 

 PROF. JOHN U. LLOYD. 



My Dear Sir, At your urgent request, I will en- 

 deavor to give you a brief account of the discovery of 

 the Resin of Podophyllum Root, more commonly 

 known as "Podophyllin." My introduction to it was 

 entirely accidental, and attended with very unpleasant 

 circumstances. 



In the fall of 1837, 1 I think it was, knowing nothing 

 of this resin, an attempt was made to prepare a hydro- 

 alcoholic extract from some forty pounds of the coarsely- 

 powdered Podophyllum Root. A portion of alcohol 

 having been distilled over from the root tincture, water 

 was added to the remaining tincture, the intention 

 being to evaporate this diluted tincture that a hydro- 

 alcoholic extract might be had, but night coming on the 

 process of evaporation was postponed until the following 

 day. On the next morning, while stirring the cold mix- 

 ture, numerous pieces of a dark, somewhat porous and 

 rather brittle body, were found in the fluid. Many 

 were the surmises as to what they were, and the query 

 arose as to their value, if any, as a medicinal agent. 



In the midst of these speculations, a young lady, 

 about seventeen years of age, who was present, com- 

 plained of feeling ill. Having no idea of the intense 

 activity of the article just discovered, I administered 

 about twelve or fifteen grains. Nothing further was 

 thought of the matter until about an hour afterward, 

 when my attention was called to her condition. She 

 was in severe pain and distress, cramps in the stomach 

 and extremities, pulse small and feeble, extremities 

 cold, excessive vomiting and hypercatharsis, and ap- 



1 The date was earlier. Data, elsewhere recorded, show that it was as early aa 

 1835 L. 



