Prinz A. (1996). D'un remède ancestral à un médicament moderne : sur la piste et les fausses pistes du Rauwolfia. In :
Schröder E. (ed.), Balansard G. (ed.), Cabalion Pierre (ed.), Fleurentin J. (ed.), Mazars G. (ed.). Médicaments et aliments : approche ethnopharmacologique = Medicines andfoods : ethnopharmacological approach. Paris (FRA) ; Metz : ORSTOM ; SFE, p. 18-29. (Colloques et Séminaires). Colloque Européen d'Ethnopharmacologie = European Symposium on Ethnopharmacology; Conférence Internationale d'Ethnomédecine = International Conference on Ethnomedicine, 2.; 11., Heidelberg (DEU), 1993/03/24-27. ISBN 2-7099-1320-8. ISSN 0767-2896.
Titre du document
D'un remède ancestral à un médicament moderne : sur la piste et les fausses pistes du Rauwolfia
Année de publication
1996
Type de document
Partie d'ouvrage
Auteurs
Prinz A.
In
Schröder E. (ed.), Balansard G. (ed.), Cabalion Pierre (ed.), Fleurentin J. (ed.), Mazars G. (ed.) Médicaments et aliments : approche ethnopharmacologique = Medicines andfoods : ethnopharmacological approach
Source
Paris (FRA) ; Metz : ORSTOM ; SFE, 1996,
p. 18-29 (Colloques et Séminaires). ISBN 2-7099-1320-8 ISSN 0767-2896
Colloque
Colloque Européen d'Ethnopharmacologie = European Symposium on Ethnopharmacology; Conférence Internationale d'Ethnomédecine = International Conference on Ethnomedicine, 2.; 11., Heidelberg (DEU), 1993/03/24-27
The Rauwolfia is a striking example how long a traditionally used drug and its importance for modern therapy was not recognized. As early as 1563 the Portuguese physician Garcia da Orta reported about the use of a snake-like root as a remedy against snake bites in the traditional medicine of Ceylon. This "snakewood" was introduced in European medicine only a few years later. Drugs from the newly discovered continents, like Ipecacuanha or Chinchonabark were accepted very quickly by the European doctors. They had welcomed every addition to their poor materia medica in that time. Rauwolfia was used in European medicine in the same way as in India against intermittent fever, worms, snakebites and delirant conditions. In the 19th century Rauwolfia disappeared from the pharmacopoeias. The newly established "scientific medicine" started to clean its materia medica from "absurd" and "magical" elements. Victim to these activities was the Rauwolfia as well. Its usefulness was not recognised due to the pathophysiological ignorance about hypertonia and ventricular tachycardia, today the most important indications for Rauwolfia-alcaloides. Only as late as 1952, with the discovery of the alcaloid Reserpin, the Rauwolfia was rehabilitated as a highly effective drug. (Résumé d'auteur)
