Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1888. 
Action  of  Apoeynum  Cannabinum. 
581 
ON  THE  ACTION  OF  THE  ROOT  OF  APOCYNUM  CAN- 
NABINUM. 
By  Dmitry  A.  Sokoloff. 
The  North  American  plant  Apoeynum  cannabinum  belongs  to  the 
natural  family  Apoaynece,  which  has  already  supplied  us  with  a  series 
of  cardiac  poisons  and  powerful  remedies  (Strop/ianthus  hispidus,  Tan- 
ghinia  venenifera,  Vinca  major,  Thevetia  neriifolia,  Nerium  Oleander , 
etc.).  While  the  apoeynum  root  is  official  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  it  remains  still  very  little  known  in  the  Old  World.  In 
view  of  this  circumstance,  Dr.  Sokoloff  has  undertaken  an  experimen- 
tal enquiry  into  the  biological  action  of  the  drug  in  Professor  S.  P. 
Botkin^s  clinical  laboratory  in  St.  Petersburg.  The  experiments  con- 
sisted in  the  intravenous  injection  of  an  aqueous  infusion  of  the  root 
(eight  grammes  to  100  cc.  of  water)  into  various  warm-blooded  ani- 
mals, the  single  dose  of  the  infusion  varying  from  three  to  ten  cubic 
centimetres.  The  chief  outcome  of  Sokololf 's  researches  may  be  con- 
densed thus : — 
(1)  The  drug  produces  a  very  pronounced  retardation  of  the  cardiac 
action,  with  a  very  considerable  enlargement  of  the  pulse  wave  and  a 
marked  rise  of  the  blood  tension. 
(2  The  initial  retardation  of  the  heart  is  followed  by  an  accelera- 
tion of  the  cardiac  action,  while  the  arterial  pressure  ascends  still 
further. 
(3  The  cardiac  retardation  (first  stage)  is  caused  by  an  irritating  ac- 
tion of  the  drug,  both  on  the  central  and  peripheral  inhibitory  appa- 
ratuses. 
(4)  The  subsequent  acceleration  (second  stage)  is  not  dependent 
upon  anything  like  paralysis  of  the  inhibitory  apparatuses,  since  the 
injection  of  another  dose  of  the  infusion  can  again  give  rise  to  a  re- 
tardation of  the  heart's  work. 
(5)  On  the  injection  of  a  very  large  dose,  the  two  stages  are  fol- 
lowed by  a  third  one,  which  is  characterized  by  cardiac  arhythmia,  the 
appearance  of  Traube's  waves,  and  a  gradual  fall  of  the  blood  pres- 
sure down  to  0. 
(6)  The  rise  of  the  blood  tension  during  the  first  and  second  stages 
is  dependent  not  only  upon  the  stimulation  of  the  vaso-motor  centres 
in  the  medulla  oblongata,  but  also  (and  that  in  a  very  considera- 
ble degree)  upon  the  excitation  of  the  spinal  vaso-motor  centres. 
