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Scientific Proceedings (89). 



morphin group on the ureter is concerned, that stimulating effect 

 is to be ascribed to the pyridin part of the morphin molecule. 

 Furthermore, the author showed that the inhibitory and tonus- 

 lowering action of papaverin and its allied alkaloids appeared to 

 be due to the presence of the benzyl grouping in the papaverin 

 molecule. The skeleton structure of the morphin alkaloids and 

 of the papevarin alkaloids is represented by the following struc- 

 tural formulae: 



Fig. 1. Pyridin Phenanthrene Skeleton. Fig. 2. Benzyl-lsoquinoline Skeleton. 



It was further shown that when a combination of various 

 opium alkaloids is used, the effect of the benzyl-isoquinolin mem- 

 bers predominates in most cases. This explains also the anoma- 

 lous effect of peronin or benzyl-morphin which, unlike all other 

 morphin alkaloids, inhibits the contractions of the isolated ureter. 1 



Following the studies of the effect of the opium alkaloids upon 

 the smooth muscle of the ureter, the author investigated the action 

 of the same alkaloids upon other kinds of smooth muscle. The 

 results of these investigations have in part been already published 2 

 and in part are to appear later. The smooth muscle structures 

 which the author studied were the following: intestine, uterus, 

 gall bladder, urinary bladder, biliary ducts, vas deferens, excised 

 bronchioles, and arterial smooth muscle. As a result of these 

 investigations, the author is led to conclude that the action of the 

 opium alkaloids upon all smooth muscle is the same as that de- 

 scribed in connection with the ureter, namely, that the morphin 

 alkaloids stimulate contractions and increase tonus while the 

 papaverin alkaloids inhibit contractions and lower tonicity, and 

 furthermore, the experiments seemed to indicate especially in 

 connection with the papaverin group that the inhibitory and tonus- 



1 Jour, of Urology, 1917, I, 201. 



2 Jour. Pharmacol, and Exp. Therap., 1916, IX, 121; Jour. Pharmacol, and Exp. 

 Therap., 1917, IX, 473. 



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