Small branches and leaves - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 64278 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Image | Plant Name | 40.01 SIMAROUBACEAE Castela nicholsoni | Entry Book Number | ||
| Artefact Name | Small branches and leaves | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | United States | TDWG Region | United States | ||
| Parts Held | Small branches and leaves | Geography Description | USA & Mexico | ||
| Uses | Small branches and leavesUse: MEDICINES - Digestive System Disorders User: Man | TDWG use | MEDICINES - Digestive System Disorders | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Pharm Soc GB | Donor No | 12 E 4 | ||
| Donor Date | Donor Notes | ||||
| Collector | Collector No | ||||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: Chaparro Amargoso is a small thorny shrub that grows abundantly in SW Texas and Mexico on acrid, calcareous soil, on mesquite or post oak land and on small rocky hills. Thus far no active principle has been isolated or described other than, an amorophous substance that was isolated many years ago and called 'amargosin' by the father of JL Putegnat mention of which is made by the latter in an article appearing in 'New Remedies' 1883 Vol 12 page 102. 'Amargosin' was in an amorphous form, inten, sely bitter, and was obtained by treating the trendrils and other parts of the shrub with boiling water. All parts of this shrub, the bark, leaves, flowers and fruit have the characteristic bitter taste and presumably therefore contain some of the medicin, al principle of Chaparro. Dr JW Nixon of Wrightboro, Texas, was so far as we can learn, the first American physicician to call attention to Chaparro. His attention was directed to it by a Mexican layman who told him that this shrub was used largely as a d, ecoction in various bowel affections, among them chronic dysentery. It was at Dr Nixon's suggestion that we made a series of lab. experiments and produced a solid extract, using 50% alcohol for extraction in both cases. Both of these preparations are quit, e stable, and from the many favorable clinical reports received it is fair to assume that the active principle or principles are present in unchanged condition. Some really remarkable clinical reports have come to us from physicians, chiefly in the south, -western section of the United States who have successfully treated cases of that persistant type of amoebic dysentery which rarely yields to any form of medication or dietetics. In 1914 Dr P I Nixon of San Antonio Texas revived considerable professional, interest in Chaparro and in his article appearing in the Journal of the AMA from May 16th 1914 p. 1530, he reports on 10 cases of amoebic dysentery. These cases varied from 3 weeks to 4 years standing. Dr Nixon reports these cases as having been completel, y cured by the administration of Chaparro. In only one case was there a re-occurrence, and in no case were liver abscesses or other complications as sequelae. In the average case it required less than two days for stools to become normal.In a later articl, e (JAMA March 25th 1919 p. 946) Dr Nixon reports that in none of the nine cases above referred to was there a reoccurrence of the dysentery; the the somewhat negative results in one case was undoubtly due to irregular administrationof the drug. In the sam, e article he describes another case of amoebic dysentery in which emetine hydrochloride of unquestioned quality has been given hypodermically without benefit; he then administered chaparro and his results while slowly developingwere quite satisfactory. Fu, rther data confirmative of the apparent specific action of Chapparro anargoso in amoebic dysertery have appeared in current medical literature; for details see Dr Nixons article in the Journal of Tropical Diseases and Preventative Medicine 1915 ; II 572;, also British Medical Journal Nov 13th 1919 Dr Low`s article on p. 714 and the exhaustive study of the treatment of amoebic dysertery by AW Sellards and MA McIvor of the Harvard School of Tropical Medicine and Mass Gen. Hospital in the Journal of Pharmacol, ogy and Experimental Medicine Vol XXIV p. 331. Briefly summarised Chapparro seems to have a selective amoebicidal action on the amoeba coli. The presence of this organism is probably the causitive factor in the productionof acute and chronic dysentery and, of subsequent hepatic abscesses. In the motile state these organisms are very susceptable to the action of the drug, however, the tendancy of amoeba coli to encyst in the tissue would account for the variation in time required to produce normal stools. S, uggested dossage - fluid extract 15 minims to 2 fluid drachms; solid extract 3 to 5 gms to be repeated pro re nata. The toxic dose of Chapparro if there be any has not yet been determined. | ||||