THE TREATMENT OF AMOEBIC DYSENTERY WITH CHAPARRO AMARGOSA (CASTELA NICHOLSONI OF THE FAMILY SIMARUBACEAE)

¹ From the Harvard School of Tropical Medicine and the Massachusetts General Hospital

Several members of the family simarubaceae contain bitter substances. These plants are widely distributed throughout the tropics and they have been extensively used by the natives for the treatment of various diseases conspicuous among which is dysentery. The genus castela has been employed in Mexico and Texas.

Several genera of the simarubaceae have been studied chemically. Products giving color reactions have been obtained but these products have neither been accurately identified nor tested therapeutically in amoebic infections. Apparently the genus castela has not been investigated chemically.

Nixon using preparations of crude castela obtained excellent results in the treatment of twelve cases of amoebic dysentery. In a similar manner we obtained satisfactory results in the treatment of four cases of amoebic dysentery.

In the chemical examination of this plant a product was obtained which was toxic for small animals and which gave precipitates with the more general alkaloidal reagents. A pronounced color reaction was obtained with sulfuric acid. Fehling's solution was reduced especially after hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid. The purity and the exact nature of this product have not yet been established but the evidence points strongly toward the presence of a glucoside.

In the treatment of four cases of amoebic infection with this product, the immediate results were distinctly significant.