Report ... on the adulteration of drugs. 2nd March 1838.

  • Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report ... on the adulteration of drugs. 2nd March 1838. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to be increased from two-thirds to three-fourths of a grain in two pills. At the same time the sample of the medicine supplied by the apothecary was changed for one almost of snowy whiteness, and consequently far purer. Through some lucky whim the pa¬ tient took only one pill. In the night time he was attacked with violent tetanic convulsions, protracted spasms of the extremities, severe locked-jaw, violent opisthotonos, spasmodic fixing of the chest, and all the other formidable symptoms of poisoning with this alkaloid ; in which state he continued for several hours. From all we know of the effects of strychnia, there can be little doubt that had he taken both pills the issue would have been fatal. 6. Apt illustrations may also be taken from vegetable drugs of a compound nature, into which impurities may be introduced acci¬ dentally, or by design, more easily perhaps than into any other de¬ scription of medicines, and where also the detection of them is sometimes exceedingly difficult. Under this head I shall take as examples three of the most familiar and most valuable articles of the Materia Meclica, namely, Gamboge, Scammony, and Opium. Gamboge is one of those purgatives, to which some physicians entertain a dislike on account of its supposed irregularity and vio¬ lence of action. But this notion has always appeared to me found¬ ed on prejudice ; for after extensive trial of it, often without any adjunct except inert powders to facilitate fine division, it has ap¬ peared to me equally manageable, safe, and uniform in effect, with any other active cathartic. Various causes may be assign¬ ed for its occasional irregularity of action. Whether its sophis¬ tication is one cause I know not ; but the frequency and ex¬ tent of the adulterations of gamboge are sufficient to account for the variations complained of. I have been led to pay particular attention to this subject,—-which, by the way, is not noticed in any work on pharmacy I have seen,—in consequence of having lately made a detailed inquiry into the sources and composition of the different kinds of gamboge, which has been published in the Companion to the Botanical Magazine. Three kinds of the drug are known in the English market, which all come from Siam by way of Singapore, namely, Pipe, Lump, and Coarse Gamboge. The first is perfectly pure, consisting of resin, gum, and a little moisture ; and the resin, its active part, amounts on an average to 73 per cent. The two others, which a person of skill can easily distinguish in mass, but not so easily in powder, are invariably