POISONING BY PLANTS. GENERAL PRINCIPLES 17 



CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 OH CH 3 CH CH 2 



CH 3 N CH 3 N 



CH 3 OH CH 3 OH 



Cholin (slightly tosic) Neurin (very toxic) 



CH 3 C=CH OH 



CH 3 N (CH 3 ) 3 =N 



CH 3 OH CH 2 CH=CH 2 



Far more toxic than neurin A homologue of neurin only slightly poisonous 



The study of the physiologic action of ortho, meta, and para compounds 

 has shown differences, such as that the para compounds are more poison- 

 ous than the ortho, although occasionally the reverse is ths case. An 

 example of these differences may be cited. Saccharin, an orthocompound, 



/\/co\ 



NH is five hundred times sweeter than sugar,, while the 

 \/\S0 2 / 

 corresponding para compound is without taste. 



THE ORGANISM AND THE POISONOUS SUBSTANCE 



Hydrolytic cleavages in the alimentary canal, more profound oxidation 

 changes and sometimes reduction in the blood or tissues are chemical 

 processes taking place in the organism. The saliva acts on few drugs, 

 but in the stomach many drugs can be absorbed and where unpleasant by- 

 effects are often manifested. This has led to the synthesis of new drugs 

 which are not absorbed in the stomach. When the substances enter the 

 intestine, they enter an alkaline medium and are acted upon by the 

 pancreatic enzyme, trypsin, which hydrolyzes esters, anilides and similar 

 bodies. The drugs are able to exert their specific action after saponifica- 

 tion in the intestine and the pharmacologist recognizing this fact prepares 

 derivatives the components of which would cause unpleasant effects on 

 the stomach, but for the fact, that they are not decomposed in that organ, 

 but are hydrolyzed in the intestine, where they can exert the desired result. 



The aliphatic hydrocarbons have narcotic properties, and these are 

 increased by the introduction of an hydroxyl group to form alcohols. 

 If more hydroxyl groups are introduced, as in glycerol, the narcotic action 

 disappears, the hydroxyl merely playing the role of an " anchoring " 



