ATKOPIZED  AND  CALABARIZED  GELATIN. 
329 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Botanical  Garden,  Cape  Town,  Mr. 
Brown. 
Natal,  Botanical  Garden,  Mr.  Mark  J.  McKen,  Esq.;  D' Ur- 
ban, Curator. — Drug.  Circ,  May,  1864. 
SAVORY  AND  MOORE'S  ATROPIZED  AND  CALABARIZED 
GELATIN. 
In  the  Chemist  and  Druggist  of  July  15,  1863,  is  an  account 
by  Mr.  Tegetmeier  of  the  singular  properties  of  the  ordeal  bean 
of  Calabar,  the  Physostigma  venenosum.  The  article  describes 
the  singular  effect  of  this  poisonous  bean  in  causing  contraction 
of  the  pupil,  when  a  solution  is  dropped  into  the  eye,  its  action 
being  precisely  the  reverse  of  that  of  the  Atropa  Belladonna. 
It  is  obvious  that  so  potent  and  peculiar  an  agent  was  not 
likely  to  remain  long  unutilized,  and  as  soon  as  a  supply  of 
this  scarce  seed  could  be  obtained  it  was  applied  to  practical 
purposes.  The  mode  of  using  it,  by  dropping  a  solution  into 
the  eye,  being  found  inconvenient,  Mr.  Stretfield  proposed 
saturating  small  pieces  of  paper  with  the  solution,  and  placing 
them  beneath  the  eyelid.  This  plan  is  also  inconvenient,  as 
it  necessitates  the  removal  of  the  paper  subsequently.  Messrs. 
Savory  and  Moore  have  recently7  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr. 
Ernest  Hart,  introduced  a  new  and  very  convenient  mode  of 
employing  the  remedy. 
The  solution  of  the  Calabar  bean  is  mixed  with  gelatin,  and 
then  evaporated,  so  as  to  leave  an  exceedingly  thin  film.  This 
film  is  cut  up  into  minute  circular  discs,  about  the  size  of  this 
letter  Q. 
One  of  these  is  easily  placed  in  the  eye,  by  directing  the 
patient  to  gaze  upwards,  and  while  the  eye  is  in  this  position 
drawing  down  the  under  lid  and  applying  the  gelatin  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  ball.  The  eye  is  then  closed,  the  gelatin 
speedily  softens,  and  the  remedial  agent  is  slowly  dissolved 
and  absorbed.  As  before  stated,  the  action  of  the  Calabar 
bean  is  to  cause  contraction  of  the  iris,  so  as  to  give  rise,  tem- 
porarily, to  the  condition  of  imperforate  iris.  The  advantage 
to  the  oculist  of  being  able  to  produce  this  condition  at  will, 
need  not  be  insisted  on. 
