Botanic Remedies 113 



clinically. From tests of the conservatory-grown 

 cactus, I believe it to be inferior to the cactus 

 gathered in a wild state in Mexico. 



There has not been, so far as I have been able to 

 learn, any satisfactory pharmacologic study of the 

 green stems gathered in Mexico and immediately 

 immersed in alcohol. Only such study would be 

 convincing. 



Wilcox, in 1905, asserted that "The action of 

 cactus is upon the intra-cardiac ganglia and accel- 

 erator nerves, through the cardiac plexus of the 

 sympathetic, and there is not any interference with 

 the inhibitory nerves." This may well be taken 

 as academically probable, though not confirmed by 

 other observers. The thought suggested is that 

 cactus is a cardiac anti-spasmodic; and clinical ex- 

 perience gives some support. 



The property of being antispasmodic is hard to 

 prove or disprove by pharmacologic investigation, 

 as spasm is not a normal biologic phenomenon. 



Indeed, there are few true antispasmodics; and the 

 actions of these are not the same. Some reduce the 

 irritability of the nerve centers; others are terminal 

 in influence; some are antispasmodic because also 

 anesthetic, and yet others cause muscular relaxation. 



Among botanic antispasmodics (not mere "nerv- 

 ines") are opium, belladonna, cannabis indica, 

 conium, aconite, lobelia, and hyoscyamus. Now 

 opium acts in intestinal and urethral spasm; bella- 

 donna is the most effective in anal spasm; cannabis 

 indica is a vesical antispasmodic; conium is effective 

 in spasm from irritative lesions of nerve trunks; 

 aconite is a terminal antispasmodic, acting best 

 when locally applied; lobelia is effective in spas- 



