Aspidosperma quebracho. White Quebracho. *N. O. Apocynaceae. Tincture and trituration of the bark. Trituration and solutions of the alkaloid Aspidospermine and its salts.
Clinical
Asthma. Cardiac asthma. Fever.
Characteristics
*Quebracho is a Brazilian fever remedy from which the alkaloid *Aspidospermine has been isolated. This is in small, very brilliant, white crystals, sparingly soluble in water, readily soluble in alcohol and ether. Hale says *Queb. produces in animals respiratory paralysis, slowed heart, and paralysis of extremities. It relieves dyspnoea in phthisis and pleurisy, but without influencing the fever. The 1X relieved asthma *with livid face, and dyspnoea with cyanosis is frequently relieved by it. Hale gives these cases as relieved by it: (1) Mitral incompetence and stenosis with *severe nocturnal dyspnoea. (2) Fatty heart (*Queb. had no influence on the oedema, which was removed by Digitalis). Jos. P. Cobb (quoted ***A.H., xxvii. 74) records a case of heart affection of some duration in a man, 24. There was some enlargement, especially of right side, much dyspnoea, and a slight enlargement, especially of right side, much dyspnoea, and a slight mitral murmur. Following this were signs of emphysema and severe attacks of asthma. Rales were heard, and “pearls’ of rounded gelatinous masses were expectorated. *Aspidospermine 3x gave more relief than any other remedy.