Botanic Remedies 271 



lation I shall not pretend to say, but there are only 

 five of any importance. Their formulae, according 

 to Henry ("The Plant Alkaloids") are: 



Quinine and quinidine C 19 H 21 ON 2 .OCH3 



Cinchonine and cinchonidine Ci 9 H 2 iON 2 .H 



Cuprein Ci 9 H 21 ON 2 .OH 



The important differences depend upon the 

 amount of the contained base, and their solubility 

 in water. 



PHARMACOLOGY. The various alkaloids are, quali- 

 tatively, very similar in their pharmacologic bear- 

 ings; all are protoplasmic poisons. Quinine possesses 

 the greater antiseptic power, being followed by 

 quinidine, conchonidine, and cinchonine. Cin- 

 chonidine is the most active as a muscle poison, 

 being followed by quinine, conchonine, and quin- 

 idine. As is to be expected from the action on 

 muscle, the toxic influence on the heart follows a 

 similar order in relative activity. Conchonidine, 

 and to a less degree conchonine, manifest convulsant 

 activity. All of the alkaloids other than quinine 

 are inferior to it in their action on the malarial 

 parasite, though some are not markedly inferior to 

 quinine. 



Quinine, in very small doses or in dilute solutions, 

 transiently exalts protoplasmic activity; but the 

 final action, and the only one in ordinary dosage or 

 strength of solution, is to depress such activity. 

 Certain molds and bacteria are resistant to quinine. 

 There is no selective action as regards particular 

 organs or body cells, but ferment action is retarded. 



In small doses quinine is a stomachic bitter in 

 action: large doses induce pain in the stomach, with 



