218 Botanic Drugs 



Here I wish to emphasize the fact for it is a fact 

 that a whole drug may not be nearly so toxic as 

 is its separated alkaloids. Especially is this true 

 of a complex drug like lobelia. 



Long ago, before the pharmacologists were active, 

 Scudder, an Eclectic, said that lobelia is "a vital 

 stimulant, by its influence upon the sympathetic 

 nervous system giving increased activity of all 

 the vegetative functions. These influences come 

 from minute doses, one drop or less" of the tinc- 

 ture. Reference to the pharmacology of lobelia 

 shows considerable justification for his statement. 

 Add to this the stimulation of the adrenal function, 

 and one can see wherein small doses of lobelia may 

 be valuable in stimulating digestion, secretion, and 

 poor circulation due to innervated states. Certainly 

 small doses of lobelia are just as rationally given 

 as are small doses of ipecac; and they do no harm, 

 at least. 



As an emetic, lobelia is certainly effective; but, 

 when we have so much safer emetics, why use 

 lobelia? 



In asthma lobelia is a well-established drug, due, 

 probably, to two things: its stimulation of the 

 suprarenal function, and its dilating the bronchi. 

 This latter effect is probably due to the drug de- 

 pressing the endings of the broncho-constrictor nerves 

 in the muscle fibers of the bronchioles. Adrenaline 

 stimulates the broncho-dilator nerve endings; so, 

 if lobelia stimulates the adrenal function, we have 

 here a beautiful illustration of the broncho-con- 

 strictors being depressed at the same time that the 

 broncho-dilators are being stimulated. 



