Jaborandi
is a South American tree growing to the height of twenty feet. It is used by South American
Indians as an antidote to the bite of serpents of the Trigonocephalus group. The drug has
been extensively used in ophthalmic practice for its mydriatic properties. Incidentally its
action on the skin and salivary glands was observed and led to extensive provings being
made. Robin (C. D. P.) sums up the effects of the drug
in doses of 6 grammes of the powdered leaves in infusion: Very soon face becomes red;
temporal arteries throb more strongly; then there is a peculiar feeling of heat in the mouth
and on face and the flow of saliva begins. Soon the forehead becomes moist and the face more
red; then beads of perspiration appear on forehead, cheeks, and temples. The flow of saliva
increases, all the salivary glands contributing. The mouth is filled with immense quantities
of fluid and expectoration is incessant. At same time perspiration covers face and neck;
then the whole body becomes red and moist, and a pleasant warmth is experienced; in a few
minutes perspiration breaks out over entire surface and soon runs down on all sides.
Meantime other symptoms have supervened. The eyelids first become moist, then tears
increase, collect in canthi, then roll down the cheeks; at the same time there is increased
secretion of Schneiderian membrane, and increased activity of mucous glands of pharynx,
trachea, and bronchi. These effects reach the maximum intensity forty-five minutes after
taking the drug and last thirty or forty minutes more. Salivary glands enlarge. Thirst is
intense. Pupils slightly contracted. When perspiration and salivation have ceased the
subject is prostrated and drowsy, and the parts which secreted excessively become abnormally
dry. In addition to these symptoms noted by Robin others have observed: vomiting; diarrhœa;
pains in abdomen, especially hypogastric region and pubes; pains in bladder and urging to
urinate. Dudgeon has recorded the following interesting case: A gentleman, 45, rose at an
early hour and went to the other side of his bedroom to get a dose of Nux 3 for some fancied derangement of his stomach. On coming back
to bed he was seized with sudden violent crimson flushing of the face followed almost
immediately by profuse perspiration, beginning in the face and head and extending all over
the body. This was followed by extreme coldness of the extremities and sickness, terminating
in the vomiting chiefly of sour mucus. The attacks recurred every quarter of an hour
throughout the day. Not only was he unable to get out of bed, he could not raise himself up
in bed, or lie otherwise than on his right side without the most distressing giddiness and a
feeling "as if he should die." Pulse 60, regular and strong; temperature below
normal. Ten drops of Jaborandi I were mixed in half a
tumbler of water, and a dessertspoonful given immediately and repeated every half-hour.
After the second dose the attacks ceased and he was able to take bread and milk without
sickness. He had a good night's rest and was perfectly well the next day (M. H. R., October, 1888). Hale commends its use in women or young
girls who have always a dry skin, scanty menses, and tendency of blood to the head. Duncan (H. W., xxxii. 189) has aborted erysipelas by painting the
tincture on the part four to five times daily. A sharp smarting, is the first effect,
followed by a more agreeable, soothing sensation. In burns, scalds and some forms of eczema
and psoriasis the same use has given excellent results. The action of the drug on the eyes
is very pronounced and it has been found useful in many conditions of eye weakness,
especially hypermetropia, ciliary spasm, convergent strabismus, and after operations for
strabismus. Sandesberg (B. J. H., xl. 201) noticed that
the internal use of Jaborandi and Pilocarpin in cases of detachment of retina and choroiditis
seemed to occasion opacity of the crystalline lens. He treated a horse for irido-choroiditis
and large opacities of the vitreous with infusion of Jab.
leaves and injections of Pilo. The disease was quickly
arrested, the vitreous cleared up completely, but during the first week the crystalline lens
became opaque. Bell commends it in diarrhœa with gushing, painless stools; flushed face,
profuse salivation, intense thirst; urine dark, scanty (or profuse); profuse sweat. Cooper
has seen a violent leucorrhœa caused by Jabor.; also
the discharge of a quantity of threadworms. One patient, after having been injected with Pilocarpine, complained of great sensitiveness to cold:
constantly taking cold and in dread of bronchitis; the skin too became irritable. Jabor. has a reputation in the old school as a stimulant of the
mammary secretion, and a case is quoted from the Lancet
in C. D. P. in which a woman whose milk had ceased for a
fortnight received gtt. x. of the fluid extract every four hours. The secretion of milk was
reestablished, but the patient began to suffer from extreme nervous excitement accompanied
by a fixed idea that she should murder all her family with a hatchet. The drug was stopped,
and these symptoms disappeared and with them the activity of the mammary glands. The Hom. News, February, 1900, quotes an incidental cure of
dysmenorrhœa in a woman, æt. 23, who received five-drop doses of Jabor.
for increased eye-tension, which rapidly disappeared. The patient noticed that she passed
the next menstrual period without pain though she usually had to spend two to four days in
bed. The drug was continued in smaller doses, and the improvement was maintained. "When
the period begins with a feeling of coldness and faintness, and neuralgic throbbings in head
and pelvis, with backache, a drop or two of Jabor. in
hot water will at once relieve" (Cooper). Jabor.
has been used as a remedy for baldness, and it forms the principal ingredient in some of the
popular hair-restorers. In a number of patients who have been taking it white hair and
blonde hair have been observed to turn black. Jabor.
acts more on left side. Sometimes the left side only is affected by sweating, the right side
being quite dry. Headaches were more noticed on left side. Headache <
at noon every day. Eating > distress in stomach.
