A treatise on therapeutics : comprising materia medica and toxicology, with especial reference to the application of the physiological action of drugs to clinical medicine / by H.C. Wood, jr.

Wood, H. C., Jr. (Horatio C.), 1841-1920.

Date:: 1874

Credit: A treatise on therapeutics : comprising materia medica and toxicology, with especial reference to the application of the physiological action of drugs to clinical medicine / by H.C. Wood, jr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$intermittent type, quinia will often temporarily set aside the paroxysmal attacks, and sometimes elfect a cure. The same fact may be stated in broad terms as true of all non-malarial intermittent affections. In the great majority of such cases, unfortunately, the action of the quinia is only temporary, and any controlling power is soon lost. Administration.—Owing to its bitter taste, quinine is generally given in pill, which may be made with gum, or simply by adding a little sulphuric acid to the alkaloidal salt and quickly rubbing up the pasty mass into pills before it hardens. Whenever a rapid action is desired, the quinine should be given in powder, or in solution made by adding a drop of dilute sulphuric acid for every grain of the salt. In the use of pills of quinine care should be exercised to see that they are soft and fresh, for when old and hard they not unfrequently pass through the bowels unchanged. The taste of the powder is best covered by chocolate or by liquorice. CINCHONI^ SULPHAS—SULPHATE OP CINCHONIA. The pure alkaloid cinchonia crystallizes in prisms and needles. The offici- nal sulphate of cinchonia is in short oblique prisms of a very bitter taste, soluble in fifty-four parts of water, more freely in boiling water, readily sol- uble in alcohol. From its solution in chlorine-water it is precipitated white by ammonia. Bill's test for it consists in adding the ferrocyanide of potas- sium in slight excess to its solution. A yellowish-white curdy precipitate is the result. On gently heating, this redissolves, but is again deposited, when the liquid cools, as abundant golden-yellow crystals. Physiological Action.—The physiological action of cinchonia is similar to but less powerful than that of quinia. Thus, Conzen (quoted by Huse- mann) has found that its action on infusoria and on fermentation is similar to but weaker than that of its sister alkaloid, and that on the movements of the white blood-corpuscles its influence seems transient. Upon dogs, accord- ing to Bernatzik's experiments, the lethal dose of cinchonia is to that of quinia as 5 is to 4. The history of cinchonia in the organism appears, therefore, to be parallel with that of quinia. Therapeutics.—As an antiperiodic, cinchonia exerts a similar influence to quinia, but is probably about one-third weaker than that alkaloid, and must be used in correspondingly larger dose. Dr. J. B. Hamilton {he. cit.) affirms as the result of experiment that cinchonia as a prophylactic against malaria is even superior to quinia. As a tonic I have never been able to perceive that cinchonia acts differently from quinia. Under the name of chinoidine is sold by the manufacturers the black, intensely bitter residue left upon the evaporation of the mother-liquor after the crystallization of the alkaloids out of it. This substance contains prob- ably amorphous quinia and cinchonia, besides quinidia and cinchonidia. It$