Also known as eserine. An alkaloid (see ALKALOIDS) obtained from Calabar bean, the seed of Physostigma venenosum, a climbing plant of West Africa.
Action
Physostigimine produces the same effect as stimulation of the PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: i.e. it constricts the pupil of the eye, stimulates the gut, increases the secretion of saliva, stimulates the bladder, and increases the irritability of voluntary muscle. In poisonous doses it brings on a general paralysis.
Uses
It is used in medicine in the form of eye drops or ointment to treat GLAUCOMA.