American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

een used in conjunction with lobelia in the treatment of croup.
As an alterative it has taken front rank with Eclectics for fifty years. it is
in general use in syphilis, in scrofula, in blood taint of any character, in
tubercular disease, and in the cancerous diathesis.
STROPHANTHUS. Strophanthus hispidus.
CONSTITUENTS—
Strophanthin. The active principle of the plant, a glucoside, a white
crystalline powder, neutral, bitter, insoluble in water, insoluble in ether
and chloroform. Dose, 1/600 to 1/200 of a grain.
Strophanthidin and kombic acid.
PREPARATIONS—
Tincture Strophanthus is prepared from the seeds alone. Dose, 1 to
10 minims administered cautiously .
Specific Medicine Strophanthus is made from the seeds is of full
strength, and should be given in smaller doses than the official tincture.
The dose is from one-half to five minims.
Granules of Strophanthin containing 1/500 of a grain are prepared
and may be given, two or three granules every half-hour in extreme
cases, until the force and power of the heart are improved, then every two
hours.
Administration—In administering the alcoholic tinctures of strophanthus
it should not be prescribed in an aqueous or syrupy menstruum, as the
agent precipitates in these solutions. It should be dropped from the bottle
into the menstruum at the moment of administration.
Physiological Action—Strophanthus is the Kombe arrow poison, acting
vigorously upon all muscular structure and specifically upon the
muscular structure of the heart.
Its action on unstriped muscular fiber is similar to that of ergot. In some
cases it affects the respiratory muscles so profoundly as to produce
respiratory paralysis and death.
Strophanthus, in small doses, renders the pulse stronger and less
frequent; arterial tension is increased. In toxic doses the systolic
contractions become very frequent and very brief, followed,
consequently, by enormous increase of blood pressure, to which is added
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 416