or aspido sperma (U. S. P.), is the bark of the Aspidosperma quebracho blanco (nat. ord., Apoeynacece): a large tree indigenous to Brazil and Catamarea (Argentine Re public). It contains 5 alkaloids: aspido spermatine, aspidosamine, quebrachine, hypoquebrachine, and quebrachamine. Quebrachine is the most commonly em ployed. Aspidospermine, an impure mixture of the alkaloids (G. Bardet), may be had as a fluid extract or as a solid extract.
A spidospermine (Hesse-Merck) occurs as a yellowish-brown amorphous powder, which darkens upon exposure; is soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, and ben zole; and is given in doses of from 1 to 2 grains.
Aspidospermine (Fraude-3Ierck) oc curs in needle or in pointed prismatic crystals, which are soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, and benzole, and is given in doses of from to 1 grain. The citrate, hydrochlorate, and sulphate are soluble in water and alcohol.
Quebrachine occurs in colorless to yel lowish crystals, which darken upon ex posure, have a bitter taste, are soluble in chloroform, hot alcohol, hot ether, and amyl-alcohol. It is given in doses of from 1 to 2 grains. The hydrochlo rate occurs in white crystals soluble in water and in alcohol.
Hypoquebrachine occurs as a yellow, or brown, amorphous, bitter powder; it agglutinates in masses and is soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform. The hydrochlorate occurs as a yellow powder, soluble in water and in alcohol.
Quebrachamine occurs in white, bitter crystals or scales, which are slightly solu ble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform. The sulphate occurs in white crystals, soluble in water and in alcohol.
Preparations and Doses.— Aspido sperma, U. S. P. (the crude drug), 5 to 30 grains.
Extractum aspidospermatis fluidum, U. S. P. (fluid extract), 5 to 30 minims.
Aspidospermine (amorphous) and salts, 1 to 2 grains.
Aspidospermine (crystalline) and salts, to 1 grain.
Quebrachine and salts, to 2 grains. Tincture aspidospermatis (40 to 50 per cent.), 5 to 10 minims.
Vinum aspidospermatis (6 per cent.), to 1 drachm.
Poisoning by Quebracho and Physio logical Action. — In toxic doses que bracho causes salivation, paralysis of respiration, and diminished action of the heart and convulsions; death is caused by paralysis of the respiratory centre. After prolonged medicinal use quebracho appears to cause a disturbance of the sympathetic nervous system. The blood of animals poisoned by quebracho be comes red. Bardet found that it dis tinctly increases the depth of the re spiratory movements, retards the pulse (contrary to Penzoldt's view), and causes a fall in the temperature.
Therapeutics.— FEVERS.— Huchard has pointed out the antithermic proper ties of quebracho. He believes that the antithermic properties reside principally in quebrachine, which may be given in doses of from to 2 grains.
acute rheumatism and in inflam mation of the serous membranes que bracho very sensibly diminishes the pulse-rate and the temperature.
The alkaloid aspidospermine has been employed as a febrifuge in malarial and other fevers, and, according to Gutt mann, its dose as an antiperiodic is 18 grains (?), the ordinary dose being 1 or 2 grains.