SUPRARENAL GLANDS 447 



Action and Uses. — Euphorbium is an intense irritant, both exter- 

 nally and internally. It is sometimes employed in veterinary medicine 

 as a constituent of vesicating preparations to enhance their eilect, but if 

 applied alone it is liable to cause extensive irritation, sloughing, and 

 destruction of tissue. Euphorbium may, however, be safely applied in 

 tincture (1-16), or in ointment with cantharides, as a vesicant for horses. 

 The following combination is recommended as a powerful blister for the 

 latter animals: 



Pulverjs euphorbii, 



Pulveris cantharidis aa 3ii. _ >Ji 



Hydrargyri chloridi corroslvi 3i. ' 



Petrolati §i. " ' i 



Cerati 5iss. ; 



M. et fiat unguentum. \ 



S. Rub into skin as a blister. 



There is no danger of absorption and genito-urinary inflammation 

 from the use of euphorbium, as with cantharides. 



SECTION XVII.— MEDICINAL AGENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN. 



Thyroid Glands, Dried. (See p. 192.) 

 StiPRAHEiTAi.UM SiccuM. Dried Suprarenals. 



Synonym. — Supraren. sice, U. S. P. VIII.; desiccated suprarenal glands. 



The suprarenal glands of animals which are used for food by man, cleaned, 

 dried, freed from fat, and powdered, and containing not less than 0.4i per cent, 

 nor more than 0.6 per cent, of epinephrine, the active principle of the suprarenal 

 gland. One part of dried suprarenals represents approximately 6 parts of fresh 

 glands, free from fat. If assayed biologically one gram of dried suprarenals 

 contains the equivalent of ten milligrams of Isevo-methylamino-ethanol-catechol. 



A light yellowish-brown, amorphous powder, having a slight, characteristic 

 odor; partially soluble in water. 



Adrenalin or Epinephrin, CoHsCOH)^ CHOH CH^ NHCH3. 



Adrenalin (epinephrin) is the active principle of the suprarenal glands, first 

 isolated by Abel (It is an animal alkaloid or leukomain), and introduced into 

 medicine at the beginning of this century. It is a light, white, microcrystalline 

 substance, slightly soluble in cold water, especially when slightly acidulated with 

 HCl. It has a somewhat bitter taste and produces a benumbing of the tongue. 

 Adrenalin is permanent in powder, but changes color and is oxidized in aqueous 

 solution. It is the active principle of the suprarenals. Adrenalin is from 825 to 

 1,000 times more powerful than the glands in its physiological effect. Solutions 

 may be boiled for a moment without impairing their therapeutic activity. Solu- 

 tions of adrenalin deteriorate on standing, with formation of a reddish color 

 and precipitate, and should be discarded. 



Action. — Circulation. — The action of adrenalin on the circulation is 

 only seen to advantage when the drug is given intravenously. There is 

 a great rise of blood pressure and the heart beats first more rapidly and 

 strongly, then more slowly, and again it is accelerated. The cause of 

 the high blood pressure is stimulation of the vasoconstrictor nerve end- 

 ings. The vessels in the abdonimal cavity are more particularly con- 

 tracted while the blood vessels of the lungs, brain and heart are not 

 supplied with vasoconstrictor fibres and are not constricted. While 



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