XI B. 5 Guerrero et al.: Illicium religiosum Siebold 211 



It may be mentioned in passing that there are other species 

 of Illicium. Mr. E. D. Merrill, botanist, Bureau of Science, 

 has recently discovered in the Philippine Islands two indigenous 

 species, Illicium montanum and Illicium philippinense. 



THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION OF 

 ILLICIUM RELIGIOSUM 



The chemical isolation of the poisonous principle of Illicium 

 religiosum does not appear to have been the subject of many 

 careful investigations. Eykman claimed to have succeeded in 

 isolating from the fruit a colorless crystalline substance to which 

 he ascribed the toxicity of Illicium religiosum. He provisionally 

 named this substance "sikimine." When administered to a 

 young dog in a dose of 12 milligrams, it produced the following^ 

 symptoms: 



After ten minutes: Disquiet, strong barking, twisting of the 

 head and of the tongue in the opened mouth, scratching of the 

 stomach and chest with the hinder extremities, afterward cross- 

 ness. After fifteen minutes: Violent cramps of the muscles of 

 the abdomen with disposition to vomit, tetanic convulsions with 

 simultaneous extension of the four extremities, stronger flexion 

 of the head toward the back, convulsive yawning, formation of 

 foam, vomiting of a brown slimy mass, starting forward, sudden 

 turning around of the entire body, afterward strong convulsions 

 in the extremities, then paralysis, lastly collapse and death after 

 three hours. 



Lnngaard has carefully studied the actions of Illicium relig- 

 iosum on rabbits, frogs, and fishes. It has been shown by 

 him that all parts of the plant contained poison. From the 

 results of his experiments with the alcohol-free alcoholic extract 

 of the roots of the plant, he drew the following conclusions: 



1. The poison produces convulsions by stimulating the me- 

 dulla oblongata. 



2. Before the appearance of the convulsions the reflex irri- 

 tability in frogs is lowered, due to the stimulation of the 

 inhibitory center in the brain. The spinal cord is not affected 

 in the beginning, but the convulsions in the later stage of the 

 poisoning arise from the heightened reflex excitability of the 

 spinal cord. 



3. The respiration is accelerated through the stimulation of 

 the respiratory center. 



4. Small quantities bring about slowing of the heart beat 

 through the stimulation of the center and termination of the 



