Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  | 
March,  1919-  -* 
The  Study  of  Drugs. 
143 
Which  of  these  preparations  most  truly  represent  the  anodyne, 
diaphoretic  and  sedative  properties  of  the  drug? 
Experience  has  shown  that  some  of  them  are  unreliable,  in  that 
they  are  highly  active  under  some  conditions,  as  under  other  condi- 
tions, some  of  them  are  practically  inert.  Which  of  these  prepara- 
tions would  you  advise  a  physican  to  choose  as  best  exhibiting  any 
one  of  the  three  characteristic  properties?  Which  is  the  best  for 
anodyne  effects?  Which  for  diaphoretic  effects?  Which  for  seda- 
tive effects?  Which  of  these  preparations  represent  the  whole 
drug  ?    Which  will  give  the  results  the  prescriber  seeks  for  ? 
Let  us  pass  on  to  aloes,  a  drug  known  and  used  in  medicine 
centuries  before  the  Christian  era.  The  books  teem  with  words 
about  it.  We  learn  that  solidified  juices  of  the  leaves  of  various  aloe 
are  the  sources  of  the  several  varieties  of  aloes.  We  read  that  its 
most  potent  principle  is  a  rather  variable  substance  called  "  aloin." 
That  from  aloes  the  chemists  have  separated  a  number  of  remark- 
able substances — resinous,  crystalline,  amorphous,  extractive  and 
the  like. 
The  characteristic  actions  of  aloes,  we  learn,  are  defined  as 
"cathartic,  hepatic,  stimulant."  That  in  small  doses  it  acts  as  a 
stomachic,  in  large  portions  as  an  emmenagogue. 
How  much  do  we,  as  pharmacists,  know  of  the  difference  in  ac- 
tion between  the  several  varieties  of  aloes?  What  have  we  de- 
termined as  to  whether  the  crude  methods  by  which  the  juice  is 
gathered  and  prepared,  have  any  influence  upon  its  action?  Which 
of  our  preparations  best  exhibits  the  action  of  aloes  as  a  cathartic  or 
hepatic  stimulant?  Which  preparation  is  best  when  a  stomachic  is 
desired?  Which  when  an  emmenagogue  is  wanted?  Which  prep- 
aration represents  aloes  in  all  its  phases  ?  Do  our  preparations  take 
into  account  the  aloin  or  the  many  resinous  and  crystalline  deriva- 
tives found  in  aloes  ? 
Now  let  us  consider  belladonna.  This  is  one  of  the  most  ancient 
drugs  known  to  medicine.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of  pages, 
and  hundreds  of  volumes,  have  been  written  about  it.  All  through 
the  ages  belladonna  has  grown  more  prominent,  and  stands  today 
as  one  of  the  most  useful  drugs  in  materia  medica.  Any  graduate 
in  pharmacy  could  write  a  thesis  on  belladonna,  and  would  possibly 
claim  (at  least  at  graduation)  that  he  "knows  all  about  it." 
What  do  we  know?  What  does  anybody  know?  What  is  the 
sum  of  our  knowledge  of  belladonna? 
