150 Botanic Drugs 



DIGITALIS 



FOXGLOVE, Digitalis purpurea. Universally offi- 

 cial. 



PHAEMACOLOGY. What is here given is applicable 

 to the digitalis series, not merely to digitalis. These 

 have a common action on the heart, with variations 

 in other directions. Their cardiac effects are due 

 to glucosides having a common action; and squill, 

 which is also emetic, is the member of the series 

 having the most definite side-action. 



Digitalis, chemically considered, is a wonderful 

 plant, literally dozens of proximates and alleged 

 proximates having been broken out of it. Only 

 the more definite ones will be considered at the 

 close of this article the tendency being to return 

 to the preparations of the whole drug. 



Very unfortunately, the galenical preparations 

 vary immensely in activity and it is quite essential 

 that liquid preparations be assayed and physio- 

 logically standardized. Most good pharmaceutical 

 manufacturers are doing this. 



The members of the group are: Digitalis, stro- 

 phanthus, squill, helleborus niger, convallaria, adonis, 

 nerium, euonymus, antiaris, thevetia, cheiranthus, 

 coronilla, tanghinia, apocynum, and erythrophloeum. 

 Some of these are quite unsuited for use as drugs. 



The whole group possess locally irritant proper- 

 ties to a greater or less degree, are partly broken 

 down in the alimentary canal, are absorbed rather 

 slowly, and are cumulative. 



The heart action is a slowing of the rhythm, the 

 systole soon becoming more complete and the 

 diastole oppositely affected; then heart-block ap- 

 pears, the ventricle contracting after every alternate 



