Botanic Remedies 193 



loids. There should be more discriminating require- 

 ments. 



THERAPEUTICS. Hyoscyamus is not so toxic as 

 is belladonna and may be used with a greater 

 measure of freedom. To quite a degree it replaces 

 opium quite logically for the relief of pain, especially 

 when due to spasm. The drug is not regarded as 

 being habit-inducing in effect; it does not markedly 

 inhibit the function of any organ, not even that of 

 the kidney; it does not lock up the bowels. From 

 the above it would appear that hyoscyamus is really 

 a valuable agent. 



Rather fortunately, although hyoscyamus con- 

 tains hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and atropine (prac- 

 tically the antagonists, hyoscine and atropine), 

 which are markedly toxic drugs; and, also, while 

 the relative proportions of these two antagonists 

 vary in the crude drug, yet, despite these facts, the 

 natural association in the plant structure is such as 

 to make the whole drug safe and comparatively 

 efficient. But it must be remembered that hyoscy- 

 amus does not possess an opium action; it is in pain 

 due to spasm that it acts effectively. Two illustra- 

 tions will suffice. Griping is caused by an intestinal 

 spasm due to nervous stimulation. Hyoscyamus 

 acts almost specifically in relieving griping, hence 

 extract of hyoscyamus is often incorporated in 

 purgative formulae. Vesical spasm is exceedingly 

 painful, yet hyoscyamus promptly relieves it be- 

 cause of its marked sedative action on the urinary 

 unstriped muscle. To a lesser degree, spasmodic cough 

 is relieved, hyoscyamus often being quite well sub- 

 stituted for codeine. The cough of tuberculosis is often 

 relieved by hyoscyamus. So, as a sedative anti- 



