Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-01-05
MODERN DRUGS AND THEIR USE
AIkaloids In Various Forms and Pc
fency as n Remedial Agent.
from the New York SUM-

fency as a Remedial Agent.
from the New York SUM-
During the past ten years the business
or profession, as you may choose to call
it, of putting up prescriptions has under
gone change which, however radical, is
! only the beginning of the revolution tn at
is to be. And, singularly, this change is
due almost altogether TO the results
brought about by the study of one drug.
It has often been said that the cinchonn
bark has been the greatest benefit to the
human race of all the medical drugs. This
saying, which applied to the bark itself, is
now true in greater measure of the bark
as a means of discovery.
1t was about 1910, according to most au-
thorities, that the Countess of Chinchon,
wife to the yiceroy of Peru, introduced
the bark, which bears her name, to the at
tention of her friends because of the fever
of which 1t had cured her when prescribed
by a native physician; and the Jesuits
soon sent quantities of it to their brethren
| in various parts of Europe, and intro
duced it into general use. From the latter
mart of the seventeenth century until
about ten years ago quinine was the indis,
penssble, the sheet anchor in feyers ana
the like.
Then the chemists, who began to be act
i've again, as they had not been since the
dsys Of the search for the philosopher d
) stone, bethought them that this quinine,
: having definite chemical formula, might
l be duplicated by an artificial compound
D This artificial substitute was necessary be-
l. cause of the fluctuations in the quinlnt
9 market. At one time the bark of the Gin
Q chona had become so scarce through ths
It vasteful methods of the Peruvian natives
b that there was a scare lest this tree, AND
It therefore the medicine, should become ex
" tinct. But the Dutch government trsns
70 planted young trees to Java, and set aoou
# the cultivation of the tree and the harvest
d ing of the bark on q scientific and busi
'e ness like basic The supply was thus Sc
l. cure, although the prices were liable t.
considerable notifications, the Dutch gov
+ ernment and the planters never showing
r be it said to their praise. disposition q
II got to work.
y The result was the production of seve
p raj chemical compounds, notably antipy
at rine, and later phenacetine, which an
g. svered all the requirements of quinine ea
ID cept in certain cases. But the point @
b the new compounds WAS not so much 20
v finding of substitute for quinine ss th
70
y 4 search and discovery, the artificial alki
\ loids. Substitutes. partial or entire, fc
all sorts of botanical drugs were found
It was q similar, although greater, advane
1 than that from the crude botanical pr
ducts, roots, herbs and the like to the e.
" tracts, which gave the same strength
n 1 far less bulk.
The chemists are working all the time
. this direction. OF course every animal {
!. | vegetable product has q chemical formul
= When this is known, when the exa
~ uroportions and relations of the basic 81
rnents In the compound are determine
q! the chemists set TO work with their 81
naents to recombine them in exactly d
10 ssrae proportions and relations. 1t won
seem to the ordinary observer that th
n method would be as sure and certain
RS for the matchmaker, having taken apart
10 watch, 10 put Il together again. Bat In
thit method comes that mystery whi
ct surrounds all ultimate analyses. And 10
ae Ss Hockel, having resolved living cell In
BIT ,tts components, failed to reeompose the
Il ia to o living cell, so these chemists cann
.tsn ,roduce the vegetable alksloids absolu'
, M.. They make artificial alkaloids th
~, GaaS the same, that have the same rei
=. Mon Q, that are as valuable In medicine, q
~ strsa times even more valuable. But 6
- tfpys enc, q fever subduer of equal pow
with >quinine, will Jet form dangerous o
~ srfpt sing chemical compounds with ott
ny nediot ues in the stomach of patient
ou the phs sician is not careful what he gi'
'g- In cotns ction with 1t.
A curl ous illustration of this came I
wo ! at the tir 1e of the craze for the Brov
,df Seouard rejuvenator. Physicians for
he that the snimAI product, spsrmine 1t
ar called, would not keep. So the chem
IN. analysed it, and produced an artificial
'ho kaloid, which was, a. they thought, ]
ne feet duplicate and substitute for sperm