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

Date:
[1888?]
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 Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    this period. In contradistinction to borneol the increase in pulse rate was always considerable (12—22 per min.) during the first few hours, and was followed by a very distinct decrease. After menthol I never observed well-developed convulsions, the only indication of them being a slight trembling of the limbs, and even this was not always present. In rabbits the action is not nearly so definite nor are the symptoms ever so pronounced as with cats, this being the case both with laurel camphor, and to a greater degree with borneol. It depends partly no doubt on irregularities in the rate of absorption, and partly on a lesser susceptibility of these animals to the poison. Small doses of borneol are without any apparent effects, while with doses of 2—6 grms. the animal may become simply depressed and inactive, may have epileptic seizures with a train of symptoms resembling those described in cats, or may be rapidly and completely paralysed, as in the two experiments described by Pellacani. The last condition is seen only when very large doses become rapidly absorbed. With laurel camphor convulsions are rarely absent in rabbits, but the attacks are milder and less frequent than in cats. Guinea-pigs (0-75-1 grm. borneol) behave exactly as rabbits do. After the administration of laurel camphor to dogs Hoffmann, Wiedemann, and Pellacani observed epileptiform attacks of a more or less marked character, preceded by psychical disturbance. The last two investigators, however, also gave large doses without producing any marked effects. In man the same thing is observed. Alexander1, who experimented on himself, experienced, after taking 40 grains, giddiness, great mental confusion and had one epileptic convulsion. He vomited most of the camphor under treatment, but suffered from tremors for some hours afterwards. Harley2 quotes a number of recorded poisoning cases in which convulsions were a marked feature, but shows that considerable doses (up to 35 grains once, and 30 grs. thrice daily) may be given without producing more serious symptoms than giddiness and lethargy. Even with very large doses (10 grms.) of borneol, I never observed convulsions in dogs. It was given in a bolus made up with mucilage, as an oily emulsion always caused severe diarrhoea. Small doses of 1 to 2 grms. cause in medium sized dogs no symptoms. 1 Experimental Essays, p. 127, 1767. 2 Practitioner, n. 210, 1872.