182 
infused commercial leaf and one-third to one-half of a grain of com- 
mercial Pilocarpine produce copious sweating and salivation, lasting 
from four to six hours, whilst much larger doses of Paraguayan 
Jaborandi excites far less sweating iad salivation, both of which results 
ceased within an hour 
To a man we gave. еее grain of commercial Pilo- 
carpine, and in three minutes he sweated | profusely. o the same man 
on another day we gave } grain of Paraguayan Pilocarpine, and this 
excited only slight perspiration and slight salivation. 
This last experiment shows that in the same dose the alkaloid from 
commercial Jaborandi is much more active than the alkaloid from Para- 
guayan Jaborandi. This is probably due to the fact that the methods 
employed extract all the alkaloids. Now Jaborandi yields at least two 
alkaloids. Probably the non-sweating alkaloid predominates in Para- 
guayan Jaborandi. 
Mr. Gerrard, Mo probably knows more of the pharmacy of J spi 
than any other m n, tells me that he finds the black leaves yield mo 
alkaloid, but ies Paraguayan leaves are Hee Possibly another ipiis 
men of thicker -— б gz be more efficacio I certainly suggest that 
another specimen d be sent over, and I ‘would further suggest that 
the whole plant of presses year's growth should be tested. 
YDNEY RiwGER, M.D. 
Dr. MICHAEL Foster to Rovar Garprens, Kew. 
The leaves were eee for the preparation of the purified alkaloid, 
to Messrs. Brady a artin, of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Those gentlemen 
succeeded in нец а small quantity of alkaloid only, and this they 
were unable to present in a crystalline form, so that no exact statement 
can be made as to the quantity of alkaloid present in a given quantity 
зт нач 
The physiological investigation of this alkaloid was кнн to 
Mr. J. N. Langl ey, M.A. of Trinity College. He found that the 
alkaloid had an action similar to that of Pilocarpine, but = eri ia in some 
i i creased se 
smaller doses, than is the case with Pilocarpine. Hence, as a drug to 
promote secretion of n perspiration, &e., the present alkaloid is 
inferior to Pilocarpine 
Bu € are reasons for believing that in Jaborandi and in Pilo- 
carpine, as at present prepared, there are two alkaloids, one stimulating 
secretion ad one stopping secretion. If this is the case, and if means 
are discovered for isolating them, then the value of the leaves under 
discussion would depend simply on the quantity of the stimulating 
substance present in them 
Besides this € alkaloid present in these leaves has not so injurious 
an effect on the heart and vascular system as has Pilocarpine. 
The gen "ama conclusion at which Mr. Langley and myself have 
arrived at is, that if the alkaloid were (even approximatively) isolated in 
the country itself where the leaves are gathered it might be worked 
quantity which they contain. If pharmaceutical chemists succeed in 
isolating a stimulating substance and the method prove карай: of 
