160 Botanic Drugs 



thymol, and borneol especially writings of Selig- 

 mann, Fromm, Winterberg, Gottlieb, Pellacani, 

 and Klemperer; but I can find no references in the 

 literature to any phagocytic power from them ex- 

 cept that Bintz asserts that they produce leuco- 

 cytosis, menthol being an exception. 



But it is well known that the stearoptene-bearing 

 aromatic bodies pharmacologically act as does ter- 

 pene, q. v. under "Abies," and Pohl says it causes 

 a polymorphonuclear leucocytosis because, being 

 positively chemotactic, it tends to prevent the 

 escape of the white cell from the blood-stream. 

 Cinnamic acid, according to Henderson, increases 

 the number of leucocytes in the blood-stream. 

 Gushing ascribes the same action to benzoic acid. 

 Winternitz claims of the balsamic urinary stimu- 

 lants that they decrease the number of leucocytes 

 in an inflammatory exudate, prior to their excre- 

 tion. 



So, then, even if Dr. TJnruh may make some 

 extreme claims which I believe he does we may 

 not dismiss his report as having no scientific founda- 

 tion; and it must be conceded that the terpenes 

 and stearoptenes have activities along the lines he 

 indicates for echinacea. If echinacea really does 

 carry an active stearoptene, it may not be dismissed 

 as inert therapeutically. He says of its therapeutic 

 action: 



"The drug is found to produce direct stimulation 

 of the katabolic processes, increase in the flow of 

 saliva, sweat and urine, increase in glandular ac- 

 tivity. It thus antagonizes all septic processes, 

 facilitates the elimination of toxins from the or- 

 ganism, and lastly, it has a destructive effect upon 



