Response of Intact Small Intestine in Non-anesthetized Dogs to Cathartic Agents,to Morphine and Atropine.

Abstract

Many earlier investigators used cathartic drugs subcutaneously and intravenously, but due to the toxicity of and local irritation caused by these methods of administration they were soon discontinued. Podwyssotzki 1 administered subcutaneously an extract of podophyllin and observed that catharsis resulted. His results were confirmed by Neuberger 2 and Dixon. 3 Dixon also reported catharsis by subcutaneous injections of podophyllotoxin. Craig 4 reported catharsis from extract of aloe. His results were later contradicted by Cohn 5 but confirmed by Hiller, 6 Meyer 7 and Kohlstock. 8 The latter experimenters used aloin in aqueous solution subcutaneously. That the extract of colocynth caused catharsis when injected subcutaneously was demonstrated by Radziejewski 9 and confirmed by Hiller, 6 Cascara sagrada was administered subcutaneously by Mac-Callum 10 and he observed a cathartic action. His results were confirmed by Ott and Scott 11 who used extract of cascara and by Brauer 12 and Pietch 13 who used the water soluble glucoside of cascara sagrada “peristaltin”. Both Chistoni 14 and Walther 15 were unable to produce catharsis by the subcutaneous injection of the aqueous extract of this drug. The fact that phenolphthalein causes catharsis when administered either subcutaneously or intravenously was shown by Ott and Scott, 11 and Abel and Rowntree. 16 Ott and Scott 11 were the only investigators to study the effect of these drugs on the contractions of the intestine. They observed the fact that both phenolphthalein and cascara sagrada increased the height of the contractions with a loss of the general tonus.

This investigation was undertaken to shed some light upon the mode of action of these drugs on the intestine in producing purgation.

Non-anesthetized dogs with Thiry-Vella fistulae were employed. Only the ileum was studied. A rubber balloon, connected to recording Brodie Bellows, was inserted in the lumen of the gut to write the changes in general tonus and the contractions.