The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-09

A different and a unique plan. however;
Is pursued by one large house in this
country. 1t administers small doses of
the drugs to living beings and watches
the effect. If these substances could
be given to human subjects perhaps
the test would be more satisfactory In
some respects. But there are obvious
objections to such procedure. Few
people would like to be experimental
upon with drugs which were poisonous.
Hence it has occurred to the firm which
uses the new method to try their stuff
on the lower animals. -.=
e. For instance, If digitalis is to be test
ed, it is. tried on a frog. A small guam
tity having been administered, an in
strument which registers the action Of
the heart is so attached to the frog as
to feel the creatures pulse. This ma
chine is called a kymograph. If the
frogs pulse is recorded both before
and after taking it will be possible to
ascertain how much the details has
stimulated the heart, if at all. If no
effect is observed. it is safe to say that
the drug is worthless If a certain
amount yields well defined results 1t
is then possible to calculate the pre-
else strength of the drug. The waves
in the line traced by the kymograph
on "a moving strip of paper will show,
by an increase in frequency or height
any eXtraneous influence at work on
the heart.
Hasheesh is usually tried on a dog.
If the drug is worthless, the dog re-
mains sober and active. But if it IS
potent it will tangle his feet for him
and paralyze him temporarily. He
drops off into a nap and perhaps has
the same delightful visions which are
supposed to result from mems indul-
gence in canabis indica. A special de-
gree of doubt attaches to this drug.
product which possesses the desired
qualities is derived only from infer
tilted female blossoms of the female
hemp If fertilized female blossoms or
male blossoms be used. the effect is
not the same. A tincture may be OBJ
taned which looks and tastes like the
genuine article, but unless it is made
from the right class of flowers, it is
valueless.
The test made for ergot is an odd one.
The drug is given to rooster, but in
stead of being placed in his stomach
it is injected into his comb. If 1t has
the proper quality it will discolor the
comb. At first the hue produced is
blue, but this eventually turns to black
If the drug is sufficiently powerful.
The strength of the sample is estl-
mated from the precise shade Of color
developed
A dozen or more different animals
are thus utilized. One responds readily
to one drug and another to another.
The frogs employed are very small
ones. The house in question once had
a lot of frogs which were transported
hundreds Of miles, but were rejected
because too large.
When this subject is preached to
other manufacturers of drugs they
smile in a long-suffering manner, as If
greatly bored. They have heard Of it
many times before. While professional
courtesy restraints them from indulg-
ing in criticism, they are apparently
well satisfied with their own methods
of inquiry. These, in most cases, are
prescribed in a standard work which
is kept in all pharmacies in the eoun-
try, The United States Pharmacop-
oeia" The tests are chemical in char
acter, and within certain limits, enable
any enlightened druggist to judge for
himself whether he is getting his
moneys worth or not when buying
from wholesale dealers. On the other
hand, it is alleged by the firm which
has adopted the new system Of testing
that chemical analysis will fail to af-
ford the desired information with
number of drugs.
For instance, strophanthus and dig