C. SUMNER WITHERST1NE, Philadelphia.
ADONIS.—Adonis is a ranunculace ous plant, closely related to the anemone, growing wild in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Several species of adonis are employed,— Adonis vernalis, A. cestivalis, A. capeusis, A. cupaniana, and A. amurensis,—but all seem to possess the same properties, although the several varieties are vari ously employed in the different countries in which they grow. In Russia, for in stance, it has long been employed in cardiac diseases, and in Africa as a substitute for can tharides, the bruised leaves, when fresh, possessing vesicating properties.
Dose.—An infusion of 4 to 8 parts of the plant in 200 of water may be given in tablespoonful doses three or four times a day (llucharcl). The tincture may be administered in doses of to 1 drachm. Adonidin, a glucoside of adonis, is ad ministered in doses varying from to grain. It acts more promptly than digitalis. (H. C. Wood.) Physiological Action.—Adonis resem bles digitalis in its action upon the heart.
It increases the cardiac energy and gives rise secondarily to an increase of arterial tension. The increased contractions eventually diminish and a period of quiet follows, varying in duration with the dose administered.
Cervello isolated a glucoside from Adonis vernalis,—adonidin,—a yellow powder having a bitter taste, obtained from the leaves. It is soluble in water and alcohol, but insoluble in ether or chloroform.
Inoko also obtained a glucoside adonin — from the Japanese plant, Adonis onurensis. This substance is free from nitrogen, amorphous, colorless, of a bitter taste, and soluble in water, alcohol, and chloroform. The symptoms observed on the heart of a frog were pre cisely those seen when digitaline is used. It is about twenty times weaker than the adonidin obtained from the European Adonis vernalis.
Adonis Poisoning.—In poisonous doses adonis paralyzes the peripheral extremi ties of the vagus, tends to excite the ac celerator system, and it finally produces paralysis of the cardiomotor nerves.
Therapeutics. — Adonis is useful in cases of uncompensated heart affection in which grave circulatory disorders exist.
The marked diuretic powers of the drug cause it to be of value in cases of dropsy and fatty heart. It is also valuable in palpitation dependent upon irregular in hibition and in aortic and mitral regurgi tation (Oliver, Wood). As it does not seem to possess cumulative tendencies, it may be administered with more freedom.
Adonis vernalis used in thirty-three cases. It will sometimes succeed where digitalis has completely failed, but it is often not given in sufficiently large dose.
Case illustrative of the tolerance of large doses of the infusion. Boy-Teissier (Marseille-m'edical, Mar. 30, 'SS).
Adonis employed in a large number of cases of different cardiac disorders. One drachm to one ounce of the infusion daily constitutes an excellent cardiac tonic. In fatty degeneration of the heart it in creases diuresis and regulates the circu lation. In many cases of heart disease the drug is effective when digitalis is useless or injurious. F. Borgiotti (Deutsche med.-Zeit., Aug. 30, '88).
Obesity.—As a remedy for the reduc tion of superfluous adipose tissue, adonis stivalis has proved of value. Owing to the fact that it does not possess a tend ency to cumulation, it may be continued for a long time.
Case in which the patient weighed 342 pounds and suffered severely from dyspnaea when the administration of adonis was begun. After taking 10 drops of the tincture three times daily for twelve days there was a loss in weight of 17 pounds, the respiration had become easier, and there was general euphoria. R. Kessler (Amer. Medico-Surg. Bull., Aug. 15, '94).
Epilepsy.—To reduce the active cere bral hyperFemia present during a par oxysm, adonis has been recommended, owing to its power of stimulating the vasoconstrictors. It may be advanta geously combined with the bromides.
Several years of the use of adonis vernalis have shown its ability to cause almost immediate cessation of the fits in some cases. Bechterew (Neural. Centralb., Dec. 1, '94).