310 VEGETABLE DRUGS 



poisoning, but is inferior to chloral bromides and anesthetics, and while 

 it is antagonistic to a certain extent, and alters the character of strych- 

 nine convulsions, yet animals die mcn-e quickly when poisoned by both 

 strychnine and eserine, than by strychnine alone. 



Gelsemium. Gelsemium. (U. S. & B. P.) 



Synonym. — Radix gelsemii, yellow jessamine, E.; jasmin sauvage, Fr.; gel- 

 semie, G. The dried rhizome and roots of Oelsemium sempervirens (Linne) 

 Aiton filius (Fam. Loganiacew). 



Habitat. — Southern United States. 



Description. — Rhizome cylindrical, usually in pieces from 2 to 20 cm. in 

 length and from 3 to 30 mm. in diameter ; externally light yellowish-brown, longi- 

 tudinally wrinkled, with purplish-brown longitudinal lines and transverse fissures; 

 odor slight, taste bitter. The powder is dark yellow. 



Constituents. — The most important is the first alkaloid. 1. Gelsemine, 

 C„HmN40i2. A colorless, crystallizable, bitter principle, soluble in alcohol and 

 ether, and slightly in water. 2. Gelseminine, a brown, amorphous, bitter alkaloid. 

 8. Gelseminic acid. 4. A volatile oil. 



Dose.—n., 31-11, (4-8); D., gr.v-x, (.3-.6). 



PREPARATIONS. 



Fluidextractum Oelsemii. Fluidextract of Gelsemium. (U. S. P.) 

 Made by maceration, percolation and evaporation, so that 1 mil = 1 Gm. of 

 the crude drug. 



Dose.—H., 3i-ii, (.4-8) ; D., 1Tlv-x, (.3-.6). 



Tinctura Oelsemii. Tincture of Gelsemium. (U. S. & B. P.) 

 Gelsemium, 100; alcohol and water to make 1,000. Made by maceration and 

 percolation. (U. S. P.) 



Dose.— H., gss-i, (15-30); D., Tn.xv-3i, (1-4). 



Oelsemina. Gelsemine. 

 (Non-official and uncertain in strength.) 

 Dose.— H., gr.^-%, (.015-.03); D., gr.1/60-1/30, (.001-.002). 

 Action External. — None. 



Action Internal — Gelsemium exerts no action on the digestive appa- 

 ratus, or on the blood, after its absorption; neither does it ailect the 

 circulation in medicinal doses, but in toxic quantities it directly depresses 

 the heart. The influence of the drug on the vasomotor system is 

 unknown. 



Nervous System and Muscles. — The prominent action of gelsemium 

 is that on the nervous system, as evidenced by paralysis and convul- 

 sions after large doses. Both the convulsant and paralyzant effects are 

 of spinal origin. That the convulsions are not cerebral is shown by the 

 fact that they occur below the point of section in mammals (under the 

 influence of the drug), with divided spinal cord. That they are not peri- 

 pheral is proved by the'ir occurrence in the hind extremities when the 

 posterior aorta is tied before the animal is poisoned. The paralyzant 

 action of gelsemium is due to direct depression of the cells of the inferior 

 cornua, and this is followed, in the later stages of poisoning, by depression 

 of the motor nerve endings and spinal sensory tract, with general anes- 

 thesia. 



The cause of the secondary convulsions is undetermined. A tetaniz- 

 ing principle in gelsemium, antagonistic to gelsemine, such as we find in 

 physostigma, has been thought to be the cause of the convulsions. The 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



