1919-20.] The Harmala Alkaloids in Malaria 
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3. Harmaline in Malaria. 
In the autumn of 1911, by the kindness of Lt.-Col. Marshall, I got in 
touch with a case of malaria, which I treated successfully with harmaline. 
This patient was a discharged soldier suffering from relapsing malaria 
acquired in India the previous year. He himself was convinced that 
harmaline acted much more efficiently than did quinine, with which he had 
been treated in India. Unfortunately, the conditions of the trial were un- 
avoidably too unfavourable to allow the experiment to be regarded as 
evidence. It was, however, sufficient to encourage a serious trial of harma- 
line under more favourable experimental conditions 
By arrangements that were made for me by Col. (now Sir R. H.) Firth, 
harmaline was tried on eleven cases of malaria in India by an officer of the 
R.A.M.C., and the following is an extract from his report : — 
During the months of July and August eleven cases of malaria were 
treated with harmaline in the hospital at Peshawar. Ten were cases of 
benign tertian, and one of malignant tertian. 
In five cases harmaline brought down the temperature and caused 
parasites to disappear from the blood in from three to six days. In one 
case harmaline produced an apparent cure, but a relapse with rigors occurred 
which did not yield to harmaline but yielded readily to quinine. In five 
cases harmaline failed to check the disease, but quinine subsequently caused 
an immediate fall of temperature. In six cases harmaline caused symptoms 
of nausea and giddiness. In all the cases the dose to commence with was 
2 grains once a day, which, if well tolerated, was increased after two days 
to 2 grains twice daily. 
Fig. 1 is a temperature chart of one of the cases successfully treated 
with harmaline. The patient was admitted with acute malaria and a 
temperature of 105'5°. Harmaline hydrochloride, 2 grains a day, was 
powder intoxicates like alcohol, ancf is so strong that the seeds have to be soaked in water to 
weaken them for women’s use, and they are then given unpowdered. In mild cases a little 
of the harmel powder is placed under the tongue once daily for forty days. 
“ The whole plant is sometimes used. It is washed in cold w'ater, cut up, and boiled in 
water for two to three hours, and the liquid bottled. This is used as a sole beverage for 
syphilis. 
“ Harmel is also used for ‘fever’ ; usually the patient fumigates himself with the smoke 
of the burning seeds. It is also used as an ointment for septic wounds.” 
It is interesting to find that the plant from which the alkaloids harmaline and harmine 
are obtained is held in such high repute as a curative agent. It is possible that, especially if 
given over a long period and in large doses, it may have some value in the treatment of 
syphilis. It is also possible that in large doses it will produce a kind of intoxication in man, 
seeing that it has been found to produce a pronounced stimulation of the cerebrum in the 
lower animals. That it will have an antiseptic action is almost certain. 
VOL. XL. 
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