9o 
Pharmacological  Notes. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\    February,  1899. 
tive,  138;  negative,  163.  Some  say:  "Yes,  but  not  discarding  the 
old  while  our  people  continue  to  think  in  1,  i,  etc.,  instead  of 
To>  T5~o>  etc-"  "  ^es«  ^  made  universal,"  "  It's  more  scientific," 
"  Hundreds  of  physicians  do  not  understand  it,  and  it  would  cause 
many  serious  mistakes,"  "  No  ! ! !  Be  Americans,  and  for  God's  sake 
quit  aping  other  nations." — your.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  September  10. 
The  above  interesting  article,  which  is  only  quoted  in  part,  should 
be  read  in  its  entirety.  C.  B.  L. 
PHARMACOLOGICAL  NOTES, 
PHYSIOLOGICAL  ACTION  OF  APOCYNUM  CANNABINUM. 
According  to  T.  S.  Dabney,  M.D.  (Therapeutic  Gazette,  1898,  p. 
737),  the  principal  action  of  Apocynum  cannabinitm  is  upon  the 
heart.  This  observation  is  based  on  a  series  of  experiments  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  J.  Rose  Bradford  to  ascertain  the  physiological  action 
of  this  drug.  "  The  heart  of  the  dog  is  slowed  down  to  two  beats 
to  one  respiration,  and  even  as  low  as  three  beats  to  two  respira- 
tions. It  will  thus  be  seen  that  it  is  more  powerful  than  digitalis. 
No  such  results  have  been  obtained  experimentally  from  the  use  of 
digitalis,  for  the  vagus  becomes  paralyzed  before  this  point  is 
reached. 
"Apocynum  strengthens  the  heart  and  increases  its  tone,  so  that 
it  stops  the  heart  of  the  frog  in  systole.  In  mammals  the  heart  is 
stopped  in  diastole,  though  a  massive  dose  may  stop  it  in  systole. 
Clinically,  it  has  been  found  to  regulate  in  a  marked  manner  the 
action  of  the  irregular  heart,  but  it  does  not  slow  the  normal  heart. 
It  will  be  seen  that  it  very  closely  resembles  the  action  of  strophan- 
thus — itself  one  of  the  Apocynaceae — digitalis,  adonidin,  caffeine 
and  sparteine,  but  it  is  the  most  powerful  of  the  group.  Its  action 
on  the  arteries  differs  from  that  of  digitalis,  as  is  shown  by  changes 
in  the  blood-pressure.  It  causes  no  contraction  of  the  arteries, 
hence  no  increase  in  blood-pressure.  It,  therefore  resembles  stro- 
phantus rather  than  digitalis  in  this  respect."  These  statements 
are  said  to  be  substantially  confirmed  by  experiments  carried  on  by 
Dr.  Ringer  in  University  College  Hospital,  Cambridge,  England  ; 
while  the  investigations  of  Dr.  Solokoff,  in  the  clinical  laboratory 
of  Prof.  S.  P.  Botkin,  St.  Petersburg,  are  also  said  to  have  shown 
u  slowing  of  heart's  action,  enlargement  of  pulse-wave  and  marked 
rise  of  blood-pressure." 
