Tincture of to 1 drachm.
Hydrastine hydrochlorate„ to V, grain (maximum dose, 2 grains per diem in divided doses).
Berberine, to 15 grains.
Physiological Action.—Hydrastis, like other bitters, promotes the secretion of the saliva and gastric juice, and thereby increases the appetite and digestive power. It also increases the secretions of the intestinal glands and of the liver. On the nervous system hydrastis has effects similar to those of quinine, but less marked. Porak's experiments dem onstrate that hydrastine is a heart poison, acting on the vasomotor system centrally. It is, therefore, uncertain and dangerous. Its derivative hydras tine has no action on the heart, and but feeble cetion on the blood-pressure. it appears to .act directly upon the capil laries, its vasoconstrictive power being greater and more permanent than that of either hydrastine or ergot. Its action on the uterus is slight.
Hydrastine, intravenously injected in the proportion of grain for every 2 pounds of body-weight, produces con stant diminution in the volume of kid neys. In doses of to grain for every 2 pounds of body-weight the blood pressure increases: the pulse is also in creased by small doses. Large amounts diminish both pressure and the frequency of the cardiac beat and increase the sys tolic contraction of the heart. Hydras tine, in small quantities, diminishes the caliber of the blood-vessels. The accel eration of pulse is attributed to excita tion of the accelerator nerves of the heart; the subsequent slowing to stim ulation of extracardiac centres of the pneumogastrie nerves. Hydrastine stim ulates spinal centres, followed by clonic and tetanic convulsions, and finally paralysis. The drug has a certain cumu lative action, and is eliminated by the kidney particularly. No traces of it were found in the bile. Marfori (Gaz. MM. de Paris, June i. '90).
Poisoning by Hydrastis.—In poison ous doses hydrastis may cause convul sions, followed by paralysis, according to the quantity of the alkaloids present. I Tydrastine is more convulsive in its effects than berberine. When injected into the jugular vein, hydrastine causes a primary fall of arterial pressure, suc ceeded by a decided rise, and the studies of Ccrna have shown that it is an active poison, producing spinal convulsions, fol lowed by paralysis (Hare). No fatal cases of poisoning by this drug have been reported.
llydrastine is poisonous to both cold and warm- blooded animals: hydrastine destroys the irritability of the muscular tissue: very large quantities produce loss of the functional activity of the efferent or sensory nerve-fibers. and also cause
anesthesia. when locally applied; in small amounts, it increase-3reflex activity by stimulating the spinal cord; later in the poisoning, by large quantities, by drastine diminishes reflex action by stimulating, at first, Setschenow's centre in the medulla oblongata, and afterward abolishes it by paralyzing the spinal cord; the paralysis produced by the drug is due to an action upon the mus cles, the motor nerves, and spinal cord; the convulsions of hydrastine are of spinal origin; hydrastine destroys the electro-excitability of the cardiac muscle; the alkaloid, in small doses, produces a primary frequency in the pulse-rate, due, probably, to a stimulating action on the cardiac motor ganglia; in moderate and poisonous amounts it diminishes the number and increases the size of the car diac beats by an action upon the intra cardiac ganglia and the heart-muscle itself; hydrastine lowers arterial press ure by a direct action on the heart, and also through a paralyzing influence ex ercised upon the centric vasomotor sys tem; the drug produces at first an in crease and afterward a decrease in the number of the respiratory movements; hydrastine kills by failure of the respi ration; the alkaloid lowers bodily tem perature, the drug increases peristalsis; in hydrastine poisoning the salivary and the biliary secretions are largely in creased, especially the latter; hydras tine, locally applied, produces at first contraction of the pupil, afterward dila tation of the same. David Cerna ITherap. Gaz.. May, '91).
Case of poisoning in a man, about 65 years of age. who was ordered to take 20 drops of the liquid extract of hydrastis Canadensis three times daily on account of bronchitis with copious expectoration. He had taken two doses, the last one at bed-time. Soon afterward he experienced difficulty of breathing. became livid. his respiration rapid, with powerful action of the auxiliary muscles of respiration. In spiration roes could be heard from a distance, and expiration was accompanied by a whistling sound. No dullness could be found on percussion of the lungs, but on auscultation a fine general crepitation was noted. After the use of stimulants improvement gradually took place. As no cardiac murmurs could be heard dur ing the attack, the drug probably caused the symptoms by inducing cardiac weak ness, with secondary congestion and of the lungs. F. Miodowski (Ber liner klin. Woch., Jan. 30, '99).
Therapeutics.—Hydrastis is indicated whenever the tone of a mucous mem brane is lowered in hemorrhagic condi tions and in malaria.