The physiological action of borneol : a contribution to the pharmacology of the camphor group / by Ralph Stockman.

  • Stockman, Ralph, 1861-1946.
Date:
[between 1880 and 1889?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiological action of borneol : a contribution to the pharmacology of the camphor group / by Ralph Stockman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Mammalia. Wiedemann found that after the administration of laurel camphor to rabbits and cats, there took place constantly a series of periodic rises of blood pressure, each rise being quickly followed by a return to the normal. After division of the spinal cord these were not observed, and hence he concludes that the rises are due to a series of convulsive discharges from the vasomotor centre in the medulla, where- by eontraction of the arterioles is brought about. After section of the vagi the blood pressure invariably fell, but he is unable to explain this in any way. No direct stimulant effect on the heart muscle was made out. Maki using chloralised animals, so as to exclude any action on the vasomotor centre, found that laurel camphor raised the blood pressure, and hence concludes that it is a stimulant to the muscle substance. With borneol, Pellacani obtained a marked and rapid fall in the blood pressure and pulse rate of cats. The doses which he used (3 grms.) were undoubtedly very much too large for the purpose, being sufficient to produce great paralysis and collapse within a very short time. With menthol (2—3 grms.) he obtained the same series of periodic rises as Wiedemann did with laurel camphor. My experiments were made with borneol and menthol but in much smaller doses than the above and with somewhat different results. The influence of borneol (1 grm.) on the mean blood pressure was found not to be constant. In some experiments there was a gradual slight fall (with larger doses a rapid and large fall), while in others the periodic rises occurred, but in no case frequently. The heart always remained strong and regular, while the pulse rate either rose or fell slightly. 1 le vagus never lost its power of inhibiting the heart. With menthol I always got a slight fall with 1 gramme doses, preceded in some cases by a rise. Here also the pulse rate some- times increased and sometimes diminished In the intact^ animal however (vide supra) menthol invariably caused an increase in pu se The following tables show the effects on the blood pressure, of doses sufficient only, in the first instance, to cause slight intoxication.