250 
Cham<elirin. 
f  Am.  Jour  Phann~ 
\      May,  1878. 
On  the  GLUCOSIDE  CHAIVMELIRIN,  the  BITTER  PRIN- 
CIPLE of  the  CHAM/ELIRIUM  LUTEUM,  Gray. 
By  Francis  V.  Greene,  M.  D.,  U.S.N. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  April  16,  1878. 
In  the  Unofficinal  List  of  the  U.  S.  Dispensatory  the  Chamaelirium 
luteum  is  briefly  described  under  its  old  name  of  Helonias  dioica,  and 
mention  made  of  its  having  been  found  useful  in  colic,  and  likewise, 
efficacious  in  the  treatment  of  leucorrhcea  and  atony  of  the  generative 
organs.  The  American  Dispensatory,  the  standard  text- book  of  the 
"Eclectics,"  edited  by  John  King,  M.  D.,  in  addition  to  giving  a  more 
detailed  description  of  the  Helonias  dioica  and  pointing  out  the  differ- 
ence between  it  and  the  Aletris  farinosa,  which  is  often  mistaken  for*  it,, 
and  used  in  its  stead,  states  that  its  root  possesses  the  properties  of  a 
tonic,  diuretic  and  anthelmintic;  that  in  large  doses  it  produces  ernesis, 
and  that,  when  fresh,  it  acts  as  a  sialogogue.  The  most  interesting 
point,  however,  in  connection  with  this  root  is  its  reputed  action  as  a 
uterine  tonic,  and  in  consequence  of  this  supposed  property  of  removing 
abnormal  conditions  and  imparting  tone  to  the  reproductive  organs,  it 
has  been  somewhat  extensively  used,  with  reported  success,  not  only 
in  the  treatment  of  leucorrhoea,  amenorrhoea  and  dysmenorrhoea,  but 
also  to  correct  the  tendency  to  repeated  abortion.  That  the  chamae- 
lirium does  really  act  as  a  uterine  tonic  is  corroborated  by  the  testimony 
of  Dr.  Braman  ("Boston  Med.  and  Surg.  Journ.,"  xi,  416)  and  still 
more  recently  by  that  of  E.  H.  Woodbury,  M.D.  ("Southern  Medical 
Record"),  who  makes  a  very  favorable  report  of  its  value  in  the  treat- 
ment of  leucorrhoea,  amenorrhoea  and  dysmenorrhoea.  With  the 
exception  of  a  short  notice  in  Tilden's  Supplement  to  the  "Journal  of 
Materia  Medica,"  the  above  references  embody  everything  of  import- 
ance that  is  known  in  regard  to  the  therapeutic  action  of  this  plant.  No 
chemical  investigation  appears  to  have  been  made,  and,  as  we  are 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  principle  or  principles  which 
produce  the  observed  effects  on  the  economy,  an  inquiry  in  this  respect 
seemed  desirable,  not  only  in  consequence  of  its  therapeutic  action,  but 
likewise  on  account  of  the  plant  being  so  closely  allied  botanically  to 
the  veratrums,  with  which  it  was  originally  classed  by  Linnaeus,  under 
the  name  of  the  V.  luteum.  I  have  therefore  lately  examined  the 
the  root  of  Chamaelirium  lutuem,and  have  succeeded  in  extracting  from  it 
in  a  pure  state  quite  a  large  amount  of  a  very  bitter  substance,  ot  a. 
