Cannabis Americana As “Cannabis Sa- by Physiological Methods
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—4— O’Shaughnessy’s • Spring 2006 Rare booklet reveals— Parke, Davis Marketed Cannabis Extracts To Doctors With “Buy American” Pitch By O’Shaughnessy’s News Service “Repeated tests have con- Archivist Michael Krawitz has ob- Drug Company Promotion tained via ebay a promotional booklet vinced us that Cannabis Ameri- attesting to the widespread medical use cana properly grown and cured is of cannabis in the U.S. almost a century fully as active as the best Indian ago. drug, while on the other hand The handsomely designed and printed we have frequently found Indian 16-page booklet was published by Parke, Davis & Co. to market its “Cannabis Cannabis to be practically inert.” Americana” to doctors and pharmacists —just as drug companies nowadays do describe as state-of-the art. when they have a potential “blockbuster” “Several years ago we began a emerging from the pipeline. systematic investigation of American Just as drug companies do nowadays, grown Cannabis Sativa. Samples from Parke , Davis knocks the competition, a number of localalities (sic) were ob- which in this instance was cannabis im- tained and carefully investigated. From ported from India. And just as they do these samples fluid and solid extracts nowadays, they invoke science to peddle were prepared according to the Pharma- their wares, although the science is not copoeal method, and carefully tested entirely rigorous (to put it mildly). upon animals for physiological activity, Under a first-page headline defining and eventually they were standardized Cannabis Americana as “Cannabis Sa- by physiological methods. Repeated tiva Grown in America,” the marketing tests have convinced us that Cannabis department gets right to the point: Americana properly grown and cured now consider the two plants to be iden- “Much has been written relative to the is fully as active as the best Indian tical. The old name of Cannabis Indica, paralysis agitans to quiet the tremors, comparative activity of Cannabis Sativa drug, while on the other hand we have however, has been retained in medicine. in spasm of the bladder, and in sexual grown in different climates (Cannabis frequently found Indian Cannabis to be Cannabis Indica simply means Cannabis impotence not the result of organic dis- Indica, Mexicana, and Americana). It practically inert. Sativa grown in the Indies, and Canna- ease, especially in combinations with has been generally assumed that the “Before marketing preparations of bis Americana means Cannabis Sativa nux vomica and ergot. American-grown drug was practically Cannabis Americana, however, we grown in America... worthless therapeutically, and that Can- placed specimens of the fluid and solid “Dosage nabis Sativa grown in India must be extracts in the hands of experienced “Physiological Action Extractum Cannabis Americae, 0.01 used if one would obtain physiologically clinicians for practical test; and from The physiological action of Cannabis gramme (1-5 grain), Fluidextractum active preparations. these men, all of whom had used large Americana is precisely the same as that Cannabis Americanae, 0.05 Cc (1 min- “Furthermore, it has been claimed quantities of Cannabis Indica in practice, of Cannabis Indica. The effects of this im). The dosage of Cannabis Americana that the best Indian drug is that grown we have received reports which affirm drug are said to be due chiefly to its ac- is the same as that of Cannabis Indica, as especially for medicinal purposes, the they have been unable to determine any tion upon the central nervous system... from our experiments we find there is no part used consisting of the flowering tops therapeutic difference between Cannabis therapeutic difference in the physiologi- of the unfertilized female plants, care be- Americana and Cannabis Indica. We are, “Therapeutic Indications cal action of the two drugs. ing taken during the growing of the drug therefore of the opinion that Cannabis Cannabis Americana is employed for to weed out the male plants. According Americana will be found equally as ef- the same medicinal purposes as Canna- “Advantages to our experience, this is an erroneous ficient as, and perhaps more uniformly bis Indica, which is frequently used as Cannabis Sativa, when grown in the notion, as we have repeatedly found that reliable than, Cannabis Indica obtained a hypnotic in cases of sleeplessness, in United States (Cannabis Americana) the Indian drug which contains large from abroad, since it is evident that with nervous exhaustion, and as a sedative in under careful precautions, is found to quantities of seed is fully as active as a source of supply at our very doors patients suffering from pain. Its greatest be fully as active as the best imported the drug which consists of the flowering proper precautions can be taken to obtain use has perhaps been in the treatment Indian-grown Cannabis Sativa, as tops only, provided the seed be removed crude drug of the best quality.” of various nervous and mental diseases, shown by laboratory and clinical tests. before percolation.” although it is found as an ingredient in The advantages of using carefully This may reflect the crudeness of their “Nomenclature many cough mixtures. In general, Can- prepared solid and fluid extracts of the testing system, which the booklet will The proper botanical name of the drug nabis Americana can be used when a home-grown drug are apparent when it under consideration mild hypnotic or sedative is indicated, is considered that every step of the pro- is Cannabis Sativa. as it is said not to disturb digestion, cess, from the planting of the drug to the The Indian plant was and it produces no subsequent nausea final marketing of the finished product, formerly supposed to and depression. It is of use in cases of is under the supervision of experts. The be a distinct species migraine, particularly when opium is imported drug varies extremely in activ- per se, but botanists contraindicated. It is recommended in continued on next page THE CENTERFOLD: Male and female plants were reproduced by a color-printing technique superior to modern methods (but more labor-intensive). Booklet was printed on glossy stock that has not lost its quality in almost a century. O’Shaughnessy’s • Spring 2006 —5— Parke, Davis Booklet from previous page ity and much of it is practically inert or of the observer to determine just when “Cannabis Americana is employed for the same medicinal pur- flagrantly adulterated. the physiological effects of the drug be- gin to manifest themselves, since there is poses as Cannabis Indica, which is frequently used as a hypnotic “Packages always, as in the case of many chemical in cases of sleeplessness, in nervous exhaustion, and as a sedative Extractum Cannabis Americanae is tests, a personal factor to be guarded in patients suffering from pain. Its greatest use has perhaps been put up in jars containing one ounce; against. When an active extract is given in the treatment of various nervous and mental diseases.” Fluidextractum Cannabis Americanae to a susceptible animal, in the smallest is put up in bottles of one-quarter pint dose that will produce any perceptible and one pint, respectively.” effect, one must watch closely for the “Previous to the adoption of the 0.01 gramme of the extract per kilo body slightest trace of incoordination, lack of physiological test over 12 years ago, weight has elicited the characteristic There follows a centerfold —lovely attention, or drowsiness. It is particularly we were often annoyed by complaints symptoms in properly selected animals. drawings of the male and female plants, necessary for the animals to be confined of physicians that certain lots of drugs “The repeated tests we have made reproduced by four-color printing on in a room where nothing will excite were inert; in fact some hospitals, be- convince us that Cannabis Americana one page, and a black and white photo them, since when their attention is drawn fore accepting their supplies of hemp properly grown and cured is fully as of Parke, Davis’s laboratory of medical to anything of interest the typical effects preparations, asked for samples in order active as the best Indian drug. research, a four-story brick building on of the drug may disappear.” to make rough tests upon their patients “Furthermore, we have placed out a river bank. Looks like a nice place to “The influence of the test dose of the before ordering.” quantities of fluid extract and solid work. In those days they had windows unknown drug is carefully compared Or did they just want some freebies? extract in the hands of experienced clini- that open... with that of the same dose of the standard cians, and from eight of these men, who The second half of the booklet re- preparation administered to another test “Many tons of the various are all large users of the drug, we have prints an article entitled “A Pharmaco- dog at the same time and under the same received reports which state that they logical Study of Cannabis Americana conditions. preparations of Cannabis In- are unable to determine any therapeutic (Cannabis Sativa)” by Parke, Davis “Finally, when the animals become dica have been tested and sup- difference between the Cannabis Ameri- researchers E.M. Houghton and H.C. drowsy, the observations are recorded plied for medicinal purposes.” cana and the Cannabis Indica. Hamilton, which ran in the American and the animals are returned to their Journal of Pharmacy January, 1908. It “Conclusions is, shall we say, lacking in rigor. 1. The method outlined in the paper Houghton’s specialty was testing for determining the physiological activ- drugs on animals. His method “consists “A dog weighing 25 pounds received an injection of two ounces ity of Cannabis Sativa by internal admin- essentially in the careful observation of of an active U.S.P.