Korean aconitum (Aconitum koreanum R. Raymond) as one of the botanical crude drugs which pertain to helleboraceae has been extensively applied in Chinese medicine during the past decades. It has been particularly used in immortal tonic among the folk remedies in China, however, its general uses comprehend diuresis, cardiotonic, analgesia, neuralgia, gout and, furthermore, even neoplastic effect. The components of aconitum have been acknowledged as aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, aconine and so on. The main ingredient, aconitine has the advantage of causing the atrial fibrillation, but, its pharmacological research has not been fully elucidated. Although there are many reports with regard to the pharmacological effects on the motility of several animal hearts, their conclusions have not been regretfully coincided yet. The authors hereby paid attention to this point of view and made experiment to examine the relationship between the alcohol extract of Korean aconitum and the motility of the isolated clam heart, making the use of several drugs related to the heart such as serotonin, acetylcholine, pilocarpine, physostigmine, barium chloride, procaine and quinidine. The cardiac movement of the isolated clam (Meretrix lusoria) heart in the standard sea water solution was recorded with the electric kymograph according to the Magnus method. The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. The motility of the isolated clam heart represents the tendency of gradual inhibition in proportion to the concentration of AK-A $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$, and $10^{-3}$. 2. The cardiac inhibitory effect of AK-A $10^{-3}$ antagonizes the motility of the isolated clam heart pretreated with serotonin $10^{-6}$. 3. The cardiac inhibitory effect of AK-A $10^{-3}$ antagonizes the systolic state appealed by barium chloride $10^{-3}$. 4. The systolic state caused by quinidine $10^{-4}$ is not inhibited by AK-A $10^{-3}$.

The effect of the Ginkgoic acid on the amounts of total cholesterol and triglycerides in serum from rabbit was observed. Ginkgoic acid was obtained from Ginkgo biloba L. fruits, and it was subcutaneously administered to the three days fasted rabbits. After three days starvation, the amounts of total cholesteral and triglycerides in serum of the rabbit were markedly increased. The increased amounts of total cholesteral and triglycerides were gradually decreased by administration of Ginkgoic acid, and were returned to the control levels after 4 days. According to the above results, it would be concluded that Ginkgoic acid influences for the recovery of the increased amounts of total cholesterol and triglycerides by abnormal metabolism to normal on rabbit.

The author studied the actions of ouabain and diphenylhydantoin sodium on the ATPase activity in mitochondrial fraction isolated from rabbit heart and compared with that of quinidine. The results obtained are as follows: 1) In studying the $(Na^++K^+)-activated$ ATPase activity, the rabbit heart isolated was immediately frozen for 7-9 days (ageing of preparation) and thereafter the mitochondria1 fraction obtained by differential centrifugation technic was treated with solution A containing 0.15% deoxycholate for 24-48 hours at $-10^{\circ}C$ before using in experiment. These methods increased the activity ratio to 0.87-0.98. 2) The $(Na^++K^+)-activated$ ATPase activity in mitochondrial fraction of rabbit heart was not completely but markedly inhibited by ouabain. This inhibitory action of ouabain was moderately antagonised by $K^+$ concentration at constant Na concentration. 3) Diphenylhydantoin sodium in concentration of $5{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}10^{-3}M$ stimulated markedly not only $Mg^{++}-dependent$ ATPase activity but also $(Na^++K^+)$-activated ATPase activity and in concentration lower than $10^{-6}M$ had little effect. However, this effect of diphenylhydantoin was markedly increased in the presence of $Na^+$ alone rather than $K^+$ alone, but lesser than that effect in the presence of both $Na^+$ and $K^+$, together. The stimulating effect of diphenylhydantoin was specifically antagonized by ouabaion. 4) When the rabbits were intravenously injected with ouabain and diphenylhydantion respectively, $(Na^++K^+)-activated$ ATPase activity of rabbit heart of ouabain-treated group was much decreased and both $(Na^++K^+)-activated$ ATPase and $Mg^{++}-activated$ ATPase activity were moderately increased in diphenylhydantoin-treated rabbit group. 5) The $(Na^++K^+)-activated$ ATPase activity in mitochondrial fraction of rabbit heart was slightly inhibited by quinidine in high concentration of $10^{-4}M$, but nearly little effect was observed below the concentration of $5{\times}10^{-5}M$. 6) It might be possible to conclude that diphenylhydantoin specifically antagonised the action of ouabain on the membrane ATPase, which is different from the action of quinidine.

The author studied the adrenotropic receptors of isolated vas deferens from Ditrema temmincki Bleeker, using adrenergic activators such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylephrine, and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine and propranolol. The results are as follows: 1. The vas deferens was stimulated by epinephrine, norepinephrine and phenylephrine, but not affected by isoproterenol. 2. The excitatory effect of phenylephrine on the vas deferens was completely blocked by phenoxybenzamine, but more stimulated by propranolol. 3. The excitatory effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine were markedly reduced by phenoxybenzamine, but stimulated by propranolol. 4. The vas deferens pretreated with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol was not affected by epinephrine and norepinephrine. 5. The vas deferens was not affected by isoproterenol and also not affected by the pretreatment with either kind of blocking agent plus isoproterenol. 6. It seemed that the vas deferens had both alpha-excitatory receptor and beta-receptor, but it was difficult to detect the character of beta-receptor whether it was inhibitory or excitatory.

Ginseng, the Korean medicinal radix, has been widely used in the Chinese medicine as well as in the folk remedies for many centuries. It is claimed from experience that ginseng exerts multiple therapeutic effects in a large variety of disorders. Despite of its popularity, the chemical analysis and pharmacological study of ginseng are not firmly established. Although there are some scattered reports of ginseng effects on blood pressure, there are few reports on hypertension especially. Recently, Lee & Cho (1971) reported that the administration of ginseng significantly supresses the production of renal hypertension. This study was undertaken to reevaluate the effect of ginseng on renal hypertension and to determine whether ginseng also supresses on neurogenic hypertension, and to clarify the mechanism of this antihypertensive effect. Male rats, weighing around 180 gm on an average were used. Renal hypertension was induced by Grollman's method under general anesthesia with 35mg/kg of pentobarbital sodium. Ginseng effect on blood pressure was observed on normal, renal hypertensive and neurogenic hypertensive rats respectively. Ginseng alcohol extract (40mg/kg) was administered daily subcutaneously from 3 days prior to producing hypertension. And in renal hypertensive rats, the effects of histamine and Avil on blood pressure were also observed. Histamine (0.05mg/kg) and Avil (0.025mg/kg) were also administered daily I.M. from 3 days prior to kidney-8-ligature. The results of the experiments are as follows: 1) No significant difference was observed in blood pressure between the normotensive control and ginseng-treated normotensive rats. 2) In renal hypertensive control, the mean blood pressure already was significantly elevated on 15th day and gradually elevated. The administration of ginseng significantly supresses the production of renal hypertension from 30th day as compared with control rats. 3) The mean blood pressure in neurogenic hypertensive control was average 143.1 mmHg on 7th day. On the other hand, in ginseng treated-neurogenic hypertensive rats, the mean blood pressure was average 125.5mmHg. The administration of ginseng significantly supresses the production of neurogenic hypertension as compared with control rats. 4) In renal hypertensive rats, the administration of histamine and Avil did not differ with control rats. 5) In ginseng-treated renal hypertensive rats, cholesterol contents of plasma, adrenal, kidney and spleen were slightly decreased.

This study was undertaken to observe the effect of xanthine such as caffeine and aminophylline on the activity of carbonic anhydrase in the kidney and stomach of the mouse. Carbonic anhydrase activities were measured by Philpot & Philpot method (1936). The results of this experiment were as follows: 1. The activity of carbonic anhydrase in the kidney of the mouse was silightly inhibited by the administration of caffeine (0.1 mg/gm, B.W.) or aminophylline (0.08 mg/gm, B.W.). The inhibition was more pronounced by the administration of aminophylline than that of caffeine. 2. In the stomach, there was no significant change in the activity of the carbonic anhydrase after the administration of either caffeine or aminophylline.

It is well known that pharmacological actions of bradykinin are smooth muscle dilatation, increase in capillary permeability, accumulation and migration of leucocytes and inducement of pain. The most significant action of bradykinin is the dilatation of blood vessels. The responses of bradykinin (0.5ug/kg, i. v. injection) on blood pressure were observed before and after single i. v. administration of guanethidine (2mg/kg) in the rabbits. The result of experiment was as follows: In the rabbit pretreated with guanethidine, the depressor response of bradykinin was much pronounced in comparison with that of normal rabbit.

Many studies on the mechanism of the inotropic action of cardiac glycosides have shown the possible intimate relationship between the mobilization of intracellular calcium and inotropic effect. Evidence obtained from recent studies suggests that cardiac glycosides may increase the intracellular $Ca^{++}$ concentration through the release of this ion from cellular or intracellular membrane. It seemed imperative to study the effect of ouabain on the interaction between mitochondria and $Ca^{++}$, because mitochondria are known to have a rather powerful $Ca^{++}$ pump mechanism which may have an important role on the regulation of intracellular $Ca^{++}$ concentration. The present investigations was made into the effect of ouabain on $Ca^{++}$ untake of mitochondria in the presence of ATP and its dependence on $K^+$ and $Na^+$ in the medium. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The rate of rise in the turbidity of superprecipitation was solely influenced by ionic strength of the medium, not by the species of ion, i.e. $Na^+$ or $K^+$. The higher ionic strength suppressed and the lower enhanced the rate of superprecipitation respectively. 2. No effect of ouabain was found on the rate of superprecipitation. 3. Mitochondria depressed the rate of superpretipitation, and the depressed rate of superprecipitation by mitochondria was reversed by ouabain, and the degree of this reversal was almost identical in $Na^+$ and $K^+$ medium. 4. $Ca^{++}$ uptake of mitochondria was inhibited by ouabain in the presence of ATP and the degree of inhibition showed the dose-response manner in terms of concentration of ouabain. 5. In the absence of ATP, mitochondria took or the $Ca^{++}$ in initial period but released it later. Such uptake and release of $Ca^{++}$ was not influenced by ouabain. 6. It is suggested that intracellular calcium mobilization by ouabain through the action upon the mitochondria was due to inhibition on ATP-dependent $Ca^{++}$ uptake by this agent, not to the action upon so called binding.

Korean rheum (Rheum undulatum Linne) as one of the botanical crude drugs which belong to polygonaceae family has been extensively applied in Chinese medicine during the last decades. It has been particularly used in cathartic and gastric tonic among the folk remedies. There are, however, a few reports with regard to the pharmacological effects on the motility of intestines of several animals. The authors hereby paid attention to this point of view and made experiment to examine the relationship between the alcohol extract of Korean rhei rhizoma and the motility of the isolated rabbit intestine, making the use of several drugs related to the motility of intestine such as acetylcholine, pilocarpine, atropine, papaverine, serotonin, and barium chloride. The movement of the isolated rabbit intestine in Tyrode's solution was recorded with the electric kymograph according to the Magnus method. The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. The motility of the isolated rabbit intestine represents the tendency of gradual dilatation in proportion to the concentration of R-A $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$, and $10^{-3}$. 2. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ does not seem to have the significant effect with acetylcholine, pilocarpine and atropine on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 3. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by serotonin $10^{-6}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 4. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by barium chloride $10^{-4}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 5. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly synergizes the dilatative effect caused by papaverine $10^{-6}$.