532 
Pharmacologic  Superstitions. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
November,  191 7. 
to  have  any  laxative  effect  in  the  doses  of  the  syrup  ordinarily  ad- 
ministered, and  if  a  laxative  action  is  desirable  it  is  necessary  to  re- 
inforce the  syrup  with  some  cathartic.  If.  on  the  other  hand,  a 
laxative  effect  is  not  desired,  the  small  quantity  of  senna  can  serve 
no  therapeutic  use  and  certainly  does  not  improve  the  flavor  of  the 
mixture.    As  a  vehicle,  therefore,  the  combination  is  quite  irrational. 
As  an  antisyphilitic,  sarsaparilla  was  introduced  into  Europe  in 
the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  having  apparently  been  copied 
from  the  South  American  aborigines.  After  a  brief  popularity  it 
fell  into  desuetude  and  was  but  little  used  until  its  revival  by  Wil- 
liam Fordyce  in  1757.  This  author17  reported  thirteen  cases  of 
syphilis  which  he  treated  with  the  drug  with  results  satisfactory  at 
least  to  himself.  He  asserted  that  the  remedy  had  fallen  into  dis- 
repute because  of  the  ignorance  concerning  the  class  of  cases  for 
which  it  was  suitable  and  the  proper  method  of  preparing  the  decoc- 
tion; he  states  that  those  who  had  failed  with  the  drug  "  all  erred  in 
macerating  it  so  long  in  the  water  before  they  boiled  it,  which  spoils 
it  for  the  next  day."  The  only  pharmaceutic  preparation  which  he 
recognized  was  made  as  follows :  Three  ounces  of  as  fresh  a  sample 
of  the  root  as  obtainable  were  added  to  3  quarts  of  water  and 
brought  to  a  boil  immediately  in  an  open  vessel,  the  boiling  continued 
until  all  but  2  pints  of  the  water  had  evaporated,  when  it  was  strained 
and  the  liquor  given  within  a  period  of  twenty- four  hours,  usually 
divided  in  two  or  three  doses.  Frequently  it  was  used  in  conjunc- 
tion with  some  form  of  external  heat,  and  under  these  circumstances 
produced  profuse  diaphoresis.  Dierbach15  describes  the  method  of 
using  sarsaparilla  in  the  treatment  of  syphilis  as  follows :  Half  a 
pound  of  the  root  cut  up  fine  is  macerated  with  water  till  it  is  in  a 
thick  slimy  condition,  and  then  pressed  through  a  cloth.  Of  this 
fluid  the  patient  drinks  early  in  the  morning  a  glassful  and  then 
goes  to  bed,  covers  up  warmly,  and  sweats  for  two  hours.  If  he 
gets  thirsty  he  must  drink  nothing  else  but  the  sarsaparilla  slime. 
In  twelve  out  of  the  thirteen  cases  reported  by  Fordyce,  mercury 
had  been  used  either  before  or  during  the  treatment  with  sarsapa- 
rilla, and  as  he  records  a  case  as  cured  as  soon  as  the  external  mani- 
festations of  the  infection  have  subsided,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
draw  any  conclusions  as  to  whether  or  not  his  treatment  really  had 
17  Fordyce,  William :  Medical  Observations  and  Inquiries,  1757,  i,  149. 
18Dierbach:  Jour.  d.  pract.  Arznik.  u.  Wundarznk.    (Huf eland's),  1837, 
lxxxiv,  40. 
