JABORANDI PILOCARPINE 529 



non-toxic, and, moreover, the local anaesthesia is maintained 

 for several hours. This renders orthoform of great service 

 in canine practice for preventing irritation and pain, and so 

 allowing the patient to rest. When swallowed, or injected 

 subcutaneously, it is quickly absorbed and acts as a powerful 

 nerve depressant, blood pressure being lowered and heart 

 action and respiration much increased. Large doses given 

 to dogs, hypodermically or by the mouth, cause nausea and 

 vomiting. Orthoform is employed as a local anaesthetic ; 

 and as an antiseptic dressing, for recent cracked heels, 

 broken knees, and superficial wounds, in powder, or in oint- 

 ment (10 to 20 per cent.) made with lanoline. Mixed with 

 collodion it is used as an anodyne, antiseptic, adhesive 

 protective for small operation wounds. 



JABORANDI 



JABORANDI FOLIA. The dried leaflets of Pilocarpus jabor- 



andi. (B.P.) Nat. Ord. Rutaceae. 

 PILOCARPINE NITRATE. Pilocarpinae Nitras (C n H 16 N 2 2 



HNO 3 ). The nitrate of an alkaloid obtained from 



Jaborandi leaves (B.P.). 



The shrubs yielding Jaborandi are natives of Brazil. The 

 leaflets have a slightly aromatic odour and a bitter, pungent 

 taste, and when chewed they increase secretion of saliva. 

 The leaflets are about four inches long, and contain an acrid 

 resin, an essential oil consisting in part of a dextrogyrate 

 terpene (C 10 H 16 ), and an amorphous, liquid, colourless 

 alkaloid, piloearpine (C n H 16 N 2 2 ), which is soluble in 

 alcohol, ether, chloroform, ammonia, and dilute acids, and 

 forms crystallisable salts, the nitrate being chiefly used. 

 Another alkaloid, jaborine, has been described as occurring 

 in much smaller proportion, and was stated to be a basic 

 decomposition product of piloearpine, and antagonistic to 

 it in its actions, although more recent work has cast doubt 

 upon this. Piloearpine nitrate is a white, crystalline 

 powder, soluble in nine parts of water, and in fifty parts of 

 cold alcohol (90 per cent.). 



ACTIONS AND USES. Piloearpine and Jaborandi leaflets 



2L 



