The early toxicology of physostigmine: A tale of beans, great men and egos

Toxicological Reviews

Volumn 25, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 99-138

  Proudfoot, Alex ^a  

^a CITY HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGENTS ACTING ON THE EYE; ATROPINE; BELLADONNA ALKALOID; ESERAMINE; ESERIDINE; NOR PHYSOSTIGMINE; PHYSOSTIGMINE; PHYSOSTIGMINE DERIVATIVE; PHYSOVERINE; UNCLASSIFIED DRUG;

BEAN; BOTANY; CALABAR BEAN; CLINICAL FEATURE; CORNEA INJURY; DRUG ACTIVITY; DRUG ANTAGONISM; DRUG EXPOSURE; DRUG ISOLATION; DRUG STABILITY; HISTORY OF MEDICINE; HUMAN; INGESTION; INTOXICATION; MUSCLE SPASM; NEUROTOXICITY; NONHUMAN; OPISTHOTONUS; PHYSOSTIGMA; PHYSOSTIGMINE INTOXICATION; REVIEW; SELF POISONING; TRISMUS;

ANIMALS; ANTIDOTES; ATROPINE; CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORS; DRUG ANTAGONISM; FABACEAE; HISTORY, 19TH CENTURY; HISTORY, 20TH CENTURY; HUMANS; MALE; MUSCARINIC ANTAGONISTS; PHYSOSTIGMINE;

ANIMALIA; PHYSOSTIGMA; PHYSOSTIGMA VENENOSUM;

EID: 33748695514     PISSN: 11762551     EISSN: 11762551     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2165/00139709-200625020-00004     Document Type: Review

References (125)

1. Waddell HM. Twenty-nine years in the West Indies and Central Africa: a review of missionary work and adventure. 1829-1858. London: T Nelson & Sons, 1863
2. Daniell WF. On the natives of Old Callebar, West Coast of Africa. Edinb N Philos J 1846; 40: 313-27
3. Rodin FH. Eserine: its history in the practice of ophthalmology. Am J Ophthalmol 1947; 30: 19-28
4. Graham EJ. Seawolves: pirates and the Scots. Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 2005
5. Dickie W. Story of the mission in Old Calabar. Edinburgh: Offices of United Presbyterian Church, 1894
6. Jones GI. New introduction. In: Waddell HM, editor. Twenty-nine years in the West Indies and Central Africa: a review of missionary work and adventure 1829-1858. 2nd ed. London: Frank Cass & Co., 1970
7. Milne WG. Letter to JH Balfour. In: The John Hutton Balfour Correspondence [letter]. Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garden, 1863, M215
8. Milne WG. Letter to J McNab. In: The John Hutton Balfour Correspondence [letter]. Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garden, 1863, M216
9. Notes, queries and replies. Native use of the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1864; 2: 293
10. Dragstedt CA. Trial by ordeal. Q Bull Northwest Univ Med Sch 1945; 19: 137-41
11. Christison R. On the properties of the ordeal bean of Old Calabar, Western Africa. Edinb Med J 1855; 1: 193-204
12. Fraser TR. On the characters, actions, and therapeutical uses of the ordeal bean of Calabar (Physostigma venenosum, Balfour). Section I: history, employment as an ordeal, botanical characters etc. Edinb Med J 1863; 8: 36-56
13. Holmstedt BO. The ordeal bean of old Calabar: the pageant of Physostigmine venenosum in medicine. In: Swain T, editor. Plants in the development of modern medicine. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press, 1972: 303-60
14. United Presbyterian Church. Report of the missionary operations of the United Secession Church for 1846-7. Foreign operations. Old Calabar - West Africa. Missionary Record of the United Presbyterian Church 1847; 2: 91
15. Baillie Z. Letter to JH Balfour. In: The John Hutton Balfour Correspondence [letter]. Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garden, 1860, B160
16. Balfour JH. Description of the plant which produces the ordeal bean of Calabar. Trans R Soc Edinb 1861; 22: 305-14
17. Watson E. On the physiological actions of the ordeal bean of Calabar, and on its antagonism to tetanus and strychnia-poisoning. Edinb Med J 1867; 12: 999-1024
18. Harley G. A brief account of the literary history, botanical characters, and their therapeutical properties of the ordeal bean of Old Calabar. BMJ 1863; 5: 262-5
19. Fraser TR. An experimental research on the antagonism between the actions of physostigma and atropia. Trans R Soc Edinb 1872; 26: 529-618
20. London Hospital Medicine and Surgery. St Mary's Hospital. Cases of mydriasis treated by the solution of Old Calabar bean, a new ophthalmic agent. Lancet 1863; 30: 604-5
21. Nunneley T. On the Calabar bean: its action, preparations and use (continued). Lancet 1863; 31: 503-5
22. Argyll Robertson D. On the Calabar bean as a new agent in ophthalmic medicine. Edinb Med J 1862; 8: 815-20
23. Fraser TR. On the moth of the esere, or ordeal-bean of Old Calabar. Ann Nat Hist 1864; 3: 389-93
24. Young D. Note on a case of poisoning by the Calabar bean. Edinb Med J 1864; 10: 192-3
25. Nunneley T. On the Calabar bean: its action, preparations and use. Lancet 1863; 24: 476-7
26. Ogle JW. Observations on some of the effects of the application of the Calabar 'ordeal bean' to the eye. BMJ 1863; 13: 613-5
27. Wells JS. Effects of the solution of the Calabar bean on the accommodation of the eye and on the pupil. Med Times Gaz 1863; 1: 500-3
28. Medical Societies. Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. On the ordeal bean of Old Calabar; its action on the animal body compared with that of woorara and conia. Lancet 1863; 27: 717
29. Giraldès. De la fève de Calabar et de ses propriétés antimydriatiques. Bull Gen Ther 1863; 65: 34-5
30. Fraser TR. On the characters, actions, and therapeutical uses of the ordeal bean of Calabar (Physostigma venenosum, Balfour). Section III: preparations. Edinb Med J 1863; 8: 123-32
31. Evans JH. The recent cases of poisoning by Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1864; 15: 406-10
32. Lingen. Vergiftung durch Calabar-Bohne. St Petersburg Med Z 1864, 246
33. Kleinwächter. Beobachtung über die Wirkung des Calabar-Extracts gegen Atropin-Vergiftung. Berl Klin Wochenschr 1864; 1: 369-71
34. Liverpool Medical Institution. Reports of societies: the Calabar bean. BMJ 1863; 16: 521
35. Ogle JW. The Calabar bean paper and its effects upon the pupil of the eye. BMJ 1863; 27: 673
36. Nunneley T. On the employment of the alkaloid of the Calabar bean in prolapsus of the iris. Lancet 1863; 18: 65
37. Posner A. The discovery of miotics. Eye Ear Nose Throat Mon 1962; 41: 822-3
38. Fraser TR. On the characters, actions, and therapeutical uses of the ordeal bean of Calabar (Physostigma venenosum, Balfour). Section V: appendix. Experiments with the kernel of Physostigma venenosum. Edinb Med J 1863; 8: 235-48
39. Nunneley T. On the Calabar bean: its action, preparations and use (continued). Lancet 1863; 7: 530-3
40. Nunneley T. On the Calabar bean: its action, preparations and use (continued). Lancet 1863; 21: 588-90
41. Nunneley T. On the Calabar bean: its action, preparations and use (continued). Lancet 1863; 28: 616-8
42. Bauer F. Einege Resultate von Versuchen über die Wirkung des Calabargiftes. Centralblatt für die medicinischen Wissenschaften 1866; 57: 577-81
43. Laschkewich W. Bemerkungen über die physiologische Wirkung der Calabar-Bohne (Physostigma venenosum). Virchows Arch Pathol Anat 1866; 35: 291-301
44. Bartholow R. On atropia. Trans Am Med Assoc 1869; 20: 637-84
45. Harnack E, Witkowski L. Arbeiten aus dem Laboratorium für experimentelle Pharmakologie zu Strassburg. Pharmakologische Untersuchungen über das Physostigmin und Calabarin. Arch Exp Pathol Pharmakol 1876; V: 401-54
46. Fraser TR. On the characters, actions, and therapeutic uses of the ordeal bean of Calabar [dissertation]. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1863
47. ARC. Obituary. Thomas Richard Fraser. Edinb Med J 1920; 24: 125-6
48. Hay M. Obituary. Sir Thomas R Fraser, MD, FRS. Edinb Med J 1920; 24: 122-4
49. Fraser TR. On the physiological action of the Calabar bean (Physostigma venenosum Balf.). J Anat Physiol 1867: 332
50. Fraser TR. On the myotic action of the Calabar bean. Lancet 1863; 30: 619
51. Argyll Robertson D. The myositic action of the Calabar bean. Lancet 1863; 13: 676
52. Fraser TR. On the myotic action of the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1863; 2: 605
53. Argyll Robertson D. The myositic action of the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1863; 2: 632
54. Karczmar AG. History of the research with anticholinesterase agents. In: International encyclopedia of pharmacology and therapeutics. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1970: 1-44
55. Salway AH. Chemical examination of Calabar beans. J Chem Soc 1911; 99: 2148-59
56. Notes, queries and replies. The active principle of the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1864; 1: 300
57. Umbra N. Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1865; 1: 591
58. Polonovski M, Nitzberg C. Études sur les alcaloídes de la fève de Calabar (II). La généserine nouvelle alcaloïde de la fève. Bull Soc Chim 1915; 17: 244-56
59. Takano S, Ogasawara K. Alkaloids of the Calabar bean. In: The alkaloids. New York: Academic Press, 1989; 36: 225-51
60. Bartholow R. The antagonism between atropia and physostigmia. The Clinic 1873; 5: 61-3
61. Atack JR, Yu Q-S, Soncrant TT, et al. Comparative inhibitory effects of various physostigmine analogs against acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterases. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1989; 249: 194-202
62. Greig NH, Pei X-F, Soncrant TT, et al. Phenserine and ring C hetero-analogues: drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Med Res Rev 1995; 15: 3-31
63. Dale FJ, Robinson B. The synthesis and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of (+)-physostigmine and (+)-physovenine. J Pharm Pharmacol 1970; 22: 889-96
64. Galli A, Renzi G, Grazzini E, et al. Reversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by eseroline, an opioid agonist structurally related to physostigmine (eserine) and morphine. Biochem Pharmacol 1982; 31: 1233-8
65. Argyll Robertson D. The effects of the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1863; 1: 552
66. Argyll Robertson D. Note on the Calabar bean. Edinb Med J 1863; 8: 1115-9
67. Hemsworth BA, West GB. Anticholinesterase activity of some degradation products of physostigmine. J Pharm Sci 1970; 59: 118-20
68. Ogle JW. Calabar bean paper. BMJ 1863; 12: 308
69. Spinney L. The killer bean of Calabar. New Scientist 2003; 28: 49-50
70. Seventeen children poisoned. BMJ 1871; 15: 73
71. Reynalds GF. Two cases of poisoning I. By Calabar bean. J Trop Med 1899; Mar: 206-7
72. Campbell A. On a case of traumatic tetanus successfully treated with the ordeal bean of Calabar. Lancet 1867; 10: 157
73. Alexander W. Two cases of tetanus. Glasgow Med J 1868; 1: 40-51
74. Keyworth JW. Case of strychnia poisoning. Glasgow Med J 1868; 1: 54-6
75. Ashmead G. Poisoning by strychnia treated with Calabar bean. Edinb Med J 1872; 18: 235-6
76. Ringer S. A successful case of traumatic tetanus treated by large doses of Calabar bean. Practitioner 1874; 13: 338-47
77. Watson E. Two cases of traumatic tetanus successfully treated with the ordeal bean of Calabar. Lancet 1867; 2: 265-7
78. Harley G. La fève du Calabar. J Anat 1864, 152
79. Gaddum JH. The pharmacologists of Edinburgh. Annu Rev Pharmacol 1962; 2: 1-10
80. Nickalls RWD, Nickalls EA. The first use of physostigmine in the treatment of atropine poisoning: a translation of Kleinwachter's paper entitled 'Observations on the effect of Calabar bean extract as an antidote to atropine poisoning'. Anaesthesia 1988; 43: 776-9
81. The week. The recent case of fatal poisoning by the Calabar bean. Med Times Gaz 1864; 2: 283
82. Hudson JQA. Remarks on the physiological action and therapeutic uses of Physostigma venenosum, or the ordeal bean of Calabar. South Med Rec 1873; 3: 705-21
83. Carson J. On the physiological action of the Calabar bean. Am J Med Sci 1868; Apr: 502-10
84. Gubler A, Labbëe E. De l'antidotisme ou de l'antagonisme thérapeutique. Bull Gen Ther 1873; 84: 510-22
85. MacLaurin HN. Remarks on a case of heightened reflex action treated by Calabar bean. Edinb Med J 1865; 11: 318-23
86. Fraser TR. On atropia as a physiological antidote to the poisonous effects of physostigma. Practitioner 1870; 4: 65-72
87. Fraser TR. The antagonism between the actions of active substances (concluded): limits to the antagonism between atropia and physostigma. BMJ 1872; 2: 485-7
88. Fraser TR. The antagonism between the actions of active substances. BMJ 1872; 26: 457-9
89. Bourneville DM. De l'emploi de la fève de Calabar dans le traitement du tetanus. Paris, 1867
90. Fraser TR. Preliminary note on the antagonism between the actions of Physostigma (Calabar bean) and Belladonna. Proc R Soc Edinb 1870; 6: 586-90
91. Gubler A. De l'antagonisme thérapeutique et spécialment de l'antidotisme réciproque de la belladonne et de la fève du Calabar. J Pharm Chim 1872; 16: 448-55
92. Gubler A, Labbée E. De l'antidotisme ou de l'antagonisme thérapeutique (suite et fin). Bull Gen Ther 1873; 84: 556-64
93. Bennett JH. Report of the British Medical Association to investigate the antagonsim of medicines II: antagonism between sulphate of atropia and calabar bean. BMJ 1874; 10: 464-6
94. Bartholow R. Note on atropia and its physiological antagonists. Practitioner 1870; 5: 27-33
95. Jones TW. On an important new application of the Calabar bean. Practitioner 1869; 3: 160-3
96. Progress of the Medical Sciences. Materia medica and pharmacy: antagonistic effects of Calabar bean and atropia. Am J Med Sci 1865; Apr: 472
97. Hudson J. Case of belladonna-poisoning cured with physostigma. BMJ 1881; 11: 918
98. Grattan N. On a case of belladonna poisoning treated with pilocarpin. Lancet 1881; 11: 951
99. Kauders J. Pilocarpine als Antidot gegen Atropin. Wien Med Wochenschr 1881; 45: 1253-8
100. Empoisonnement par le belladone, guérison par l'emploi de la fève de Calabar. Bull Gen Ther 1869; 83: 561
101. Empoisonnement par le belladone, guérison par l'emploi de la fève de Calabar. Gaz Med Paris 1869; 9: 550
102. Fraser TR. On the employment of Physostigma (Calabar bean) in the treatment of tetanus and chorea. Practitioner 1868; 1: 76-88
103. White J. Case of strychnia-poisoning, and recovery under treatment with Calabar bean and chloroform. Glasgow Med J 1871; 3: 488-90
104. Smith MW. Strychnia poisoning; two cases treated by Calabar bean. Ohio Med Rec 1879; 4: 145-56
105. Pal J. Physostigmine ein Gegengift des Curare. Centralbl Physiol 1900; 14: 255-8
106. Nickalls RWD, Nickalls EA. The first reversal of curare: a translation of Pal's original paper, 'Physostigmine, an antidote to curare'. Anaesthesia 1985; 40: 572-5
107. Fenwick W. Calabar bean in tetanus. Glasgow Med J 1869; 1: 300-5
108. Coote H. Tetanus in which the Calabar bean was freely administered. Lancet 1864; 26: 348-9
109. Tétanos spontané. Emploi simultané de la medication sudorifique et de la fève du Calabar. Guérison. Bull Gen Ther 1864; 67: 79-86
110. Westminster Hospital. Traumatic tetanus treated with Calabar bean; death; autopsy. Lancet 1868; 10: 480
111. Reports of Societies. Clinical Society of London. BMJ 1869; 6: 224
112. Répertoire Médical. Revue des Journaux. Tétanos traumatique traité par la fève de Calabar. Insuccès. Bull Gen Ther 1868; 64: 427
113. Ridout CV. Traumatic tetanus treated by the tincture of the Calabar bean. Lancet 1868; 31: 567
114. McEwan J. Report on a case of tetanus treated with calabar bean. Glasgow Med J 1874; 6: 478-85
115. Episcopal Hospital. Case of severe traumatic tetanus, resulting favorably under the use of calabar bean. Philadelphia Med Times 1871; 16: 138
116. Watson E. Additional case of tetanus, with remarks. Glasgow Med J 1868; 1: 56
117. Macarthur AJ. Case of traumatic tetanus: recovery under the use of the Calabar bean. Edinb Med J 1869; 14: 989-93
118. Heath C. A fatal case of tetanus treated by Calabar bean. Practitioner 1870; 5: 275-7
119. Cunningham J. Case of traumatic tetanus successfully treated by Calabar bean. BMJ 1874; 4: 450
120. Répertoire Médical. Revue des Journaux. De l'emploi de la fève de Calabar dans le tétanos des nouveau-nés. Bull Gen Ther 1869; 77: 564-5
121. Alexander W. Two cases of tetanus. Glasgow Med J 1868; 1: 40-51
122. Jalland WH. Treatment of tetanus by Calabar bean. BMJ 1874; 11: 79-80
123. Calabar bean in tetanus. BMJ 1872; 22: 679
124. Lebensohn JE. The first miotic. Am J Ophthalmol 1963; 55: 657-9
125. Walker MB. Treatment of myasthenia gravis with physostigmine. Lancet 1934; I: 1200-1