A Physiologic and Clinical Study of Boldine
JOLDO fs an evergreen shrub native
to Chilly and it. was.frst-described
by Molino, inthe yar 1782, under the name
of peamus bole. It was successively
named rua fragrns, by Ruiz and Pave;
Deumus.fragrans, by Persoon; boldea
Feagrans, by Tosses; boldon. fragrans, by
Enlicher, Lindley, and Claudio. Gay;
‘while M. i. Ballon, in his history of plants,
ives it the name of peu bold, which
‘ame now is the accepted one
Boldo was brousht to France in 1868-9
4 result of the discovery tat it had
certain curative properties in diseases ofthe
liver; properties ve have often mentioned.
‘The’ active principle of boldo, boldine,
veas discovered by Ed. Bourgoin and Verne,
and was studied oat by Molino, Rui, and
Pavoo, by. Jusieu, Endlicher, Lindley,
(€.Gay, de Candale, Blo, Laborde, and
other.
oldine is derived from the leaves of
boldo. "They ate sosrly pulverize, then
‘exhausted by am infusion of water to which
i added 30 Gram of acetic acd er ilo
gram of material. The Giteted lguid is
then evaporated, in a waterbath, t0 the
consistency of honey, This liquid is acid
land contains, beddes the alkaloid, some
fromatic matter and calcium aceate,
‘which are gotten rid of by various manip
Tations, the inal result being «strongly
alkaline residue o! 8 peculiar edoe. "This
is impure boldine in solution. It is puri
fied by.» number of precpitations from
solution in water aiulated with acetic ci,
Precipitation being effected with ammonia,
Which must be added cautiously, because
boldine is soluble an exces of the alka
‘This product, which is almost pure, is
then washed upon a Berecus ltr with
Usted water tl the last trace of amc
{s removed, then dred. away, under'er-
luson of ‘air and. ight under “sue
las bel which hols some quiclime und
‘monohydrated sulphuric acid
oldine is an alkaloid hich is only
slightly soluble in water. It's vey soluble
in alcoho, chlorotorm, and in concentrated
alkalis, and slightly soluble in beazol. Tt
Combines realy with acids to form salu
tion which are neutral to itmes paper, and
which precipitate with ammonia with the
double eof mercary and fotastun,
and lve to fodiaed water a maroon-brown
predpitte. Concentrated strc and sul-
Dhurke acids color it red immediately. It
forms a white powder, slightly yellowish.
In spite ofits very sight slubityin water,
boldine communicates to it an alkaline
‘action and a decidedly biter taste
Ue wil be a matter of interest to our
readers to lar that bldine hydrobromie,
4 pare watersouble salt of boidine, has
‘een produced in the laboratories of The
‘ote Allaoidal Company—Eo
‘Physiologically, Deldine acs as an ex-
citant of the digeaive functions and ofthe
biliary secretion. I erally the liver on
which it action is specially localised,
While at the same time facts equally on
the digestive functions. Moreover, beyond
its direct action on the stomach, boldine
is essentially a physiologic meticaent, for,
ting endowed with such great eficacy 08
the livers functions, it st. contbute
strongly to heighten the digestive functions
ty the fact alone of its dec action on the™ FOREIGN GLEANINGS
liver without calling inthe ai of the stom-
ach’s action indirect,
From the physiologic study of Dr
Laborde on boldo, it was learned that this
substance exerss, onthe nervous system,
‘8 hypnotic action primarily, with all it
‘consequent momentary suspension of con-
scious function! actions of life and its
Felatios. ‘This action is accompanied by
‘certain degree of general anesthesia and
that of some of the senses, especially of those
of audition, and the abolition of the ocuo-
palpebral reflex
We have stated that, from a physiologic
view, boldine increases the seertion of the
bile,’ But froma therapeutic point of view,
the action of beldine ie not Limited to that
alone. Its action is wider and better than
merely activating the biliary secretion, for
it really acts ia the manner of a specific
regulator of the vers functions, in that it
leven regenerate, 40 far as possible, those
hepatic cells which have not as yet de
‘generated iremediaby.
‘The action of boldo on the liver, known
for a long time in Chili, was confirmed in
Paris and in Vichy, principally by Prof.
Graber, who ostained with it remarkable
results in hepate congestion and functional
roubles of that organ in hepatic colic, in
billary lithiasis, in chronic’ hepatitis, in
billows affections, and in eachetias of pa-
ludie origin, and after long residence’ in
hot. climates
"Through the same action which boldine
exerts on the liver, it also has a stimulating
effect on the entire economy. Its curative
effects in infarmatien, in congestion and
functional troubles of the liver, in tilly
lithiasis, in henatic colic and,’ above all,
In chronic hepatitis, are at present so well
known and wel defined that therapeutists
fof modern times would not hesitate to
class it as the most energetic. cholagon.
tis a most valuable medicament in the
treatment of diseases of the liver and of
the digestive apparatus. AS an aid to the
functions of nuttin, it canbe prescribed for
along period without inconvenience, because
it offers the grest advantage of not iritating
the digestive tract a8 quinine would
From Dujardin-Beaumetz we know that
Doldine increases the elimination of urea
jn a notable degree, and that it especially
augments the secretion of the bile without
any action on the dreulation, the tempers:
ture or the quality of the’ urine. That
which gives to boldine a place by itself
apart in therapeutics, is just this property
that it does not confine itself toa mere
augmentation of the biliary secretion, but
acts, in addition, in the way of a veritable
specific on the liver, modifying. rapidly
its pathologic condition and. changing it
fradualy toa normal one. This first
effect of holdine, that is, this considerable
increase of the biliary secretion, determines,
a5 a secondary consequence, the decrease
‘ofthe hepatic congestion, which disappears,
little by little, asthe functional disturbances
ofthe liver diminish and give place to nor
‘mal functioning.
In his clinical therapeutic lectures, Dr.
Dujardin-Beaumetz advises boldine in bil
ary lithiasis and in hepatic congestion,
‘The various authorities allow us, therefore,
to assign definitly to boldine a place apart
asa sureand eficacious remedy in affections
of the liver, in hepatic colics, and in the
hepatitis of hot climates.
Besides its speciic action on the liver,
Doldine exercises alo & favorable influence
fon the functions of the digestion, acting 3s
‘tonic bitter principle. This, however, we
Think, is due, above all things, to the i
provement of the digestive tract consequent
‘upon the principal action of boldine onthe
liver.
"The best mode of administering boldine
fs inthe form of granules dosed at 1 mil
gram. The usual dose varies between 8
Sind 8 milgrams-—and ought not to be, st
the start, more than 6 granules—in twenty~
foue hours, but which may be increased to
10 within that period. In the treatment
‘of afections ofthe liver and ofthe intestinal
‘anal, this dosage should be suicient for
the twenty-four hours, ie, it should be
riven fractionized at 2 granules ata tine
‘Managed wisely and perseveringly, bold
ine proves itself, in the hands of intligest
practitioners, as a specific in the affections
Df the liver of so much vale thatthe other
remedies in vogue in the same affections ar,
without boldine, of very limited value
Toldine is an antidote in disease of theFOREIGN GLEANINGS 745,
liver, as quinine is an antidote in fevers
Revue Therapewtique des Alcaloides, March,
1912,
PASSAGE OF BILE INTO THE ABDOMI-
‘NAL CAVITY
Dr. E. Von Kutschera reported a case of
the escape of ile into the abdominal
cavity without perforation of the bile
passages, to the Gesellschaft der Aerzte,
fof Vienna, a its sean of March 15, 1912.
‘This condition was found ina man, 22
years of age, who was. brought tothe
hospital with a diagnosis of appendicitis
His temperature wis 365° C. (976° F.),
land pulse, 47. On hparotomy being made,
bilious fuid was found in the abdominal
cavity, but "perforation of the. biliary
passages could not ke discovered anywhere
"The bacterium coli was found in the Aid
‘The bile must have exuded through the
sound wall of the gall-bladder during the
Septic stage of the fuid. ‘Ten eases of this
kind are recorded in “medical Uterature;
in five, the persons died. Bradycardia
already was presett in the present case
before icterus could be detected.—Wiener
Medis, Wochenschr, 1912, cl. 8
F. Tremoliers, ofthe Hépital Beaujon,
studied out the origi of cas of phlegmasia
alba dolens occurtg in a young female of
tuberculous antecelents (repeated bron-
chit, conalgia). The right thigh was
‘wollen and the collateral venous erculation
was quite considerable, and the thigh was
ery painful Te wes, therefore, clear case
‘of phlebitis. On examining the patient a
small superial cavity was discovered in
the right apex of the supraspinows fossa
‘The patient alo presented signs of chor-
css, the characteratic color of the skin,
fertracardiae murmurs, rattling noses in
the right (upper) juular angle, and so forth,
“The question was whether the phlebitis
with which this patient was affected was of
Chloroie or of tuberculous origin. ‘The
‘existence of chronic noninfectious phlebiti
which is due to some physical modiications
(of the blood or to abundance of hemato-
blasts is very much disputed. What we
Inad here was rather a tuberculous phlebitis;
not one that is due to a Koch bacillus (a
variety well studied out by Hirtz and his
‘which is attenuated, insidious,
‘no rise to emboli, but a phlebitis of the
third period, due to microbes of a secondary
Infection coming from the pulmonary cavity
in this patient. A blood-culture,further-
‘more, showed the existence of staphylococel
jn the blood, This laboratory research
confirmed the clinical diagnosis —La Quin-
‘zine Théropeatique, March, 1942, p. 32
“TABAKOLOGIA MEDICINALIS”
This is a literary study about tobacco
{nits medical respect written by Dr. Johann
Breslerand published by Marhold at Halle.
‘The first part of this publication isoued,
which i: planned on a large scale as a
Collection of medical literature concerning
the effects of tobacco. in physical and
psychical respects, is nota polemic against
the use of this plant, but occupies itself
‘with the hygienic consequences of its use.
‘The theme of this number concerns itself
‘with peychical and nervous diseases of the
‘yes, ears, blood-vessels, and heart, also
those ofthe digestive canal arising from the
tse of tobacco, being illustrated by com-
prehensive histories of eases. —-Dr. V. Hor-
arka, in Wiener Medic. Wochenschr, 1912,
cok 80.
YOHIMBIN POR INCONTINENCE AND
'STRANGURY
Fritsch (in Deutsche Med. Wochenschr,
IOI, No. 27), writes as follows: There are
certain disturbances of the urogenital
system which are from a defective func-
toning of the bladder-musculature and its
fadnexa, and which lead to incontinence of
the urine, to strangury, and so forth, which
disturbances have hitherto found but litte
attention. The urogenital apparatus forms,
with respect to its innervation, a con
nectedly complete whole. This being so,
Fritsch made use of yohimbin Spiegel),
which hitherto has been used in impotence
tainly due to other ailments of the uro-