326 VEGETABLE DRUGS 



due either to lack of sexual desire or to lack'of sexual power. Impoteney 

 may be symptomatic as of sexual excess, irritability, chronic prostatitis 

 or vesiculitis, malnutrition, anemia, overwork and obesity. But in appar- 

 ently healthy animals where no removable cause can be discovered yohim- 

 bine offers most hope of a cure. It stimulates sexual desire by exciting 

 the centres and peripheral reflexes, and sexual power in the male by 

 causing erections. 



In the female also lack of sexual desire and absence of estrum may 

 be corrected by the drug. 



Yohimbine appears to be more successful in veterinary than in human 

 practice where the failures in the treatment of impoteney are more fre- 

 quent than the successes. In impotent bulls, stallions, rams, boars and 

 dogs, and in barren and frigid mares, cows, ewes, sows and bitches the 

 drug often acts favorably. 



Its use has been extended to other conditions. Thus it is reported 

 to have been successful in the treatment of chronic metritis by occasion- 

 ing active uterine hyperemia. As a nerve stimulant it has been employed 

 with supposed favorable results in bovine parturient paraplegia and in 

 paraplegias of dogs. The drug is rather expensive at present. 



SECTION v.— DRUGS ACTING ON THE 

 SECRETORY NERVES. 



Class 1 . — Pilocarpus and Pilocarpine. 



Pilocarpus. Pilocarpus. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — Jaborandi, B. P.; the dried leaflets of Pilocarpus jaboran4i 

 Holmes, known in commerce as Pernambuco jaborandi, or of Pilocarpus micro- 

 phyllus Stapf., known in commerce as Maranham jaborandi (Fam. Rutacew), 

 yielding not less than 0.6 per cent, of alkaloids of jaborandi. 



Habitat. — Brazil in the neighborhood of Pernambuco. 



Description. — Pernambuco jaborandi. Leaflets when entire, oval, oblong or 

 elliptical, from 4 to 10.5 cm. in length and from 2 to 4 cm. in breadth; peculiarly 

 aromatic when crushed; taste bitterish, becoming somewhat pungent and having 

 a sialogogue effect. Maranham jaborandi. Leaflets rhomboidally oval to obo- 

 vate, or elliptical, from 1.5 to 5 cm. in length and from 1 to 3 cm. in breadth, the 

 lateral ones nearly sessile, the terminal ones on margined petioles. The powder 

 is dark green or greenish-brown. 



^Constituents.— 1. Pilocarpine, Ci.HuNjOj (.25-.5 per cent.) is the alkaloid to 

 which jaborandi owes its principal effect. 2. Jaborine, C^Mn^.Ot, an alkaloid 

 resembling atropine in its action on the heart, pupils, intestines and salivary 

 glands. It occurs occasionally as an impurity in commercial pilocarpine, to which 

 it is antagonistic. It is soluble in alcohol. (Recent investigators deny the action 

 or even existence of such a substance in pilocarpus.) 3. Pilocarpidine 

 (Cj„HuN,02), an alkaloidal product of the decomposition of pilocarpine, which is 

 inert. It is soluble in alcohol. 4. A peculiar acid. 5. A volatile oil, chiefly pilo- 

 carpene, Cii,H,e. 



Dose.—H. & C, 3ii-iv, (8-15); Sh. & Sw., 3ss-l, (2-4); D., gr.v-3i, (.3-4). 



PREPARATIONS. 



Fluidextractum Pilocarpi. Fluidextract of Pilocarpus. (U. S. P.) 

 Made by maceration and percolation with diluted alcohol, and evaporation, 

 so that each 100 mils of the fluidextract contains 0.6 Gm. of the alkaloids of pilo- 

 carpus. 



Dose.—H. & C. 3ii-iv, (8-16) ; Sh. & Sw., 3ss-i, (2-4) ; D., TTl,v-3i, (.8-4). 



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