84 CIRCULATORY STIMULANTS 



DIGITALIS PRINCIPLES 



On account of certain disadvantages of all drugs of the digitalis 

 group, many investigators have endeavored to isolate the active prin- 

 ciples of digitalis, yet its chemistry is not fully understood. Several 

 principles have been isolated in a more or less degree of purity. 

 Of the numerous ones obtained, digitalin and digitoxin together 

 resemble quite closely the activity of the crude drug. The difFerent 

 brands of digitalin of commerce, however, are not true digitalin, 

 but mixtures of tvtro or more principles. 



Digitaleinum Crudum. Crude digitalein is a mixture of glu- 

 cosides prepared according to the method of Schmiedeberg, contain- 

 ing digitoxin, digitalin and digitalein. Its actions and uses are the 

 same as those of digitalis. 



Doses. 



Horses and Cattle. Vi to % grain (0.016—0.032). Dog. 

 %o— %o grain (0.001—0.002). 



Digitalinum Verum Kiliani. Digitalin true is also knovm as 

 Schmiedeberg's Digitalin. It is a glucoside found in the leaves of 

 Digitalis purpurea and derived commercially from Digitalinum Ger- 

 manicum. Its actions and uses are the same as those of digitalis. 



Doses. 



Horse. Vs—Yi grain (0.008—0.03 Dog. %o— Mo grain 

 (0.002—0.006) several times daily. 



Digitalinum, French. Homolle's Digitalin — Digitalin Amor- 

 phe — is a mixture of giucosides obtained from Digitalis purpurea 

 after the method of Homolle, consisting mainly of digitalinum verum 

 liiliani. Its actions and uses are the same as those of digitalis. 



Doses. 



Horses and Cattle. Vs—Vi gTain (0.008—0.015). Dog. 

 %oo— Veo grain (0.0006—0.001). 



Digitalinum Germanicum. Digitalin, German. This is a 

 rriixture of giucosides obtained from the seeds of digitalis by the 

 method of Walz, consisting largely of digitonin, with digitalin verum 

 and other active principles. This is the digitalin usually dispensed 

 when digitalin is prescribed. It is variable in composition accord- 

 ing to the method by which it is prepared. 



Doses. 



Horses and Cattle. % — % grain. (0.016—0.033). Dogs. 

 ^^o— Ho grain (0.001—0.002). 



Nativelle's Crystalline Digitalin is practically identical with 

 digitoxin. 



