Chlorodyne
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| Kind | Patent medicine |
|---|---|
| Part of the plant | Flower |
| Also called | Chlorodynum Dr. J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne chloranodyne |
| Language | English |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
|---|---|
| Recorded in | British Pharmaceutical Codex (1907) |
| First recorded | 1885[1]: 125 |
| Still made | Not known |
Chlorodyne is a British patent medicine of chloroform, morphine and other drugs, sold as "Dr. J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne" by J. T. Davenport of London. An advertisement that the Wellcome Collection dates to 1898 calls it "the great specific for cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery".[2] William Martindale called it "the secret remedy" in 1885.[1]: 125 So many analyses of it were made that pharmacists had many formulas to choose from,[3]: 42 and several printed formulas contain tincture of Indian hemp. An American pharmacist wrote that it had never been proved that Browne's own preparation contained cannabis.[3]: 42
Formulas with Indian hemp
The British Pharmaceutical Codex of 1907 gives a formula under the heading "Chlorodynum. Chlorodyne": in 100 parts, chloroform 6, morphine hydrochloride 0.5, tincture of Indian hemp 3, tincture of capsicum 1.5, liquid extract of liquorice 12, mucilage of acacia 12, treacle 25, glycerin 22 and oil of peppermint 0.1, made up with alcohol. It states that "The action of chlorodyne is mainly due to the morphine it contains", and gives it for diarrhoea, colic, flatulence and coughs, in a dose of 15 to 30 minims.[4]: 248
Secret Nostrums and Systems of Medicine, a collection of published formulas for proprietary medicines compiled by Charles W. Oleson in Chicago, prints in its 1894 edition two formulas with tincture of Cannabis indica: one "put up by a manufacturing firm", the other a substitute "for the British nostrum" by Maltbie.[3]: 43 King's American Dispensatory (1898) recommends the purified extract of Indian hemp over the ordinary extract "for making chlorodyne".[5]
The pharmacopoeia tinctures
The British Pharmacopoeia of 1885 had a tincture of chloroform and morphine, which the 1907 Codex says "was intended as an equivalent for chlorodyne, a better formula for which will be found under Chlorodynum".[4]: 1180 It contained chloroform, ether, morphine, hydrocyanic acid, oil of peppermint, liquorice and treacle, and no hemp.[1]: 125 William Martindale's Extra Pharmacopoeia of 1885 thought a "Chloromorphia Solution" given in the book, also without hemp, "more nearly resembles the secret remedy, Chlorodyne, than the official" tincture.[1]: 125
The later compound tincture of chloroform and morphine did contain the hemp. The Codex says that tincture of Indian hemp "is a constituent of, and gives the green colour to" it,[4]: 203 and the British Pharmacopoeia of 1914 puts 100 millilitres of tincture of Indian hemp in 1,000 of it, with chloroform, morphine hydrochloride, diluted hydrocyanic acid, tincture of capsicum, oil of peppermint and glycerin.[6]: 401 In the United States the National Formulary of 1888 gave a "Chloroform Anodyne" with tincture of Indian cannabis, intended "to fulfil the same purposes" as the British tincture.[7]: 87–88
The original recipe
Fred. Rohnert, writing in the American Pharmacist and reprinted by Oleson, held that "Brown's, the original" certainly contained morphia, hydrocyanic acid, peppermint, chloroform and capsicum with molasses, and liquorice. Of the formulas with Cannabis indica he wrote that it "undoubtedly is a valuable addition, but that the original contains cannabis indica has never been proved".[3]: 42–43 Oleson's preface warns that the book reprints analyses published in journals without guaranteeing their exactness.[3]: preface
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Martindale, William (1885). The Extra Pharmacopoeia, with the additions introduced into the British Pharmacopoeia 1885. Medical references and a therapeutic index of diseases and symptoms by W. Wynn Westcott (4th ed.). London – via Wellcome Collection.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ J. T. Davenport (1898). "Dr. J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne: is the great specific for cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery ..." Wellcome Collection (advertisement). London. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Oleson, Charles W. (1894). Secret Nostrums and Systems of Medicine: a book of formulas (5th ed.). Chicago: Oleson & Co. – via Wellcome Collection.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (1907). The British Pharmaceutical Codex: an imperial dispensatory for the use of medical practitioners and pharmacists. London: Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain – via Wellcome Collection.
- ↑ Felter, Harvey Wickes; Lloyd, John Uri (1898). "Extractum Cannabis Indicae (U. S. P.)—Extract of Indian Cannabis". King's American Dispensatory – via Henriette's Herbal Homepage.
- ↑ General Council of Medical Education and Registration of the United Kingdom (1914). British Pharmacopoeia, 1914. London: Constable and Company – via Wellcome Collection.
- ↑ American Pharmaceutical Association (1888). The National Formulary of Unofficial Preparations. Washington, D.C.: American Pharmaceutical Association – via Wellcome Collection.