Hypertension Treated withRauwolfia canescens

Abstract
THE widespread acceptance of the preparations of Rauwolfia serpentina for the treatment of patients with arterial hypertension and mental disorders has stimulated further investigation regarding other forms of Rauwolfia. One of these species, R. canescens, has been reported by Chakravarti1 to show greater adrenolytic activity with less hypnotic effect than R. serpentina. This effect was attributed by Mukherjee2 to a crystalline alkaloid, rauwolscine, which was isolated in 19413 and was thought to be the active principle of R. canescens. Since then the well known alkaloid, reserpine, has been isolated from R. canescens by Klohs and his co-workers.4 In addition, other . . .