Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 115-116. (Budapest, 19869

KISEBB KÖZLEMÉNYEK — ELŐADÁSOK - Ringelhann, Béla: A digitalis 200 éve az orvostörténetben (angol nyelven)

Dropsy at that time was interpreted many different ways and nobody knew that the retension of Natrium and of water was regulated differently. The role of other organs than the heart and other mechanisms were also unknown. As we already know, the misfunction of the kidneys, the digestive system and the lymphatic tract may also have a role to play in the development of dropsy. In some cases the foxglove proved to be very effective, in others it did not. Nobody knew at that time about congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. Especially in the case of the latter, the Digitalis proved to be a very effective drug. Medical weeklies did not exist in the beginning of the 19th century, and the communication and circulation of books were very slow. Each country followed its own medical traditions. Corvisart, the private physician of Napoleon and Laennec, his disciple, denied the positive effects of the foxglove in 1811, others recommended it for the treatment of apoplexy, thoracic fever, phtisis and mental illnesses. [18] In the meantime foxglove became to be used in a different form: Homolle and Quevenne isolated the drug in 1840 and named it "Digitalin". Quevenne soon died and it was Homolle who received the honour for producing the new medication. Digitalin was ten times stronger than the infusion, one dose was 0.064 gram. [19] Corrigan (1831) and Hopes (1833) prescribed the drug on many occasions in England, and it was used in 1855 in whole Europe [4, 20] Péter Méliusz Juhász in his book, Herbarium, published in 1578 tells about the use of foxglove (Gyűszűvirág) in Hungary. "Using foxglove has a warming and drying effect ' '. According to him, its effects are similar to the Gentiana's: it purifies, dries and softens the mucus accummulated in the lungs and helps its voiding. He considers it particularly useful if the succus of the plant is consumed. [3] Reading this book it becomes apparent that the plant was used in Hungary, but its diuretic effect was unknown. In his book published in 1801, Apothecary of the Village Folks, József Benedeki Enyedi, physician from Parajd, does not mention the foxglove. [21] József Plenk, professor of the university in Buda, on the other hand, recommends the foxglove as a useful drug in the treatment of hydro thorax, ascites and amaurosis in Pharmacologia medico-chirurgica specialis etc., written in Latin in 1804. Using the medication causes the slowing down of the pulse-rate and diuresis, taking higher doses would result in vomiting and the exulceration of the trachea and oesophagus. [22] Sámuel Diószegi, botanist of Debrecen, in Medical Botany As a Practical Book of the Hungarian Flora published in 1813, declares the foxglove an excellent remedy in the hands of a "trained and experienced" physician. He considers the foxglove a very useful drug in treating dropsy, glandular and tumourous illnesses, even if they are inherited. He contributes healing power to the leaves by driving fluid out of the human body, thus giving a remedy for the ailment. If overdosed, it causes vomiting and long lasting nausea. The pulse-rate drops from 60 to 40 or even to 30 per minute. If the vision is effected, taking of the medication should be discontinued. Diószegi warns against the use of the foxglove in any kind of ointments. [23] "Orvosi Tár", a Hungarian medical journal published by Paul Bugát, reviews Stiffs work in 1835 which confirms that powdered foxglove is more effective than the infusion. Taking the powder would result in abundant urination, it is not necessary to take more than 4 to 12 grains. [24] Traube, a German researcher, described the effect of the nervus vagus on the heart in 1850. The diminishing effect of large doses of Digitalis on the pulse-rate greatly impressed the German