PHARMACOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF FOLIA THEVETIA PERUVIANA MERR.(CONTINUED)

The pharmacological effects produced by alcoholic extract of Folia Thevetia peruviana Merr. in various animals have been investigated with the following results: 1. Action on the heart—In frogs, the extract caused systolic ventricular standstill of both intact and isolated hearts. On the mammalian heart, as a weak solution of the extract perfused through the vessels of the incised rabbit heart, contraction of the heart distinctly increased, its rate slowed down, and finally the heart stopped in systole. 2. Action on smooth muscles—The extract increased the tone and the contraction of both intestinal and uterine segments of rabbits and giania pigs, but it showed no perceptible Changes in rats. Its stimulating action on isolated smooth muscles of rabbits and giania pigs was not abolished by atropine. 3. Toxicity--Dogs and cats given a toxic dose of the extract orally both manifested poisoning symptoms such as salivation, vomiting and weakness. Three out of four cats died in a week but none of the dogs died, this showing that the extract is more toxic to cats than to dogs.