physostigmine

[fahy-soh-stig-meen, -min]

noun Pharmacology.

an alkaloid, C15H21N3O2, used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to raise the level of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and also as a miotic in glaucoma.

Origin of physostigmine

1860–65; < New Latin Physostigm(a) genus of plants yielding the alkaloid (see physo-, stigma) + -ine²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for physostigmine

Historical Examples of physostigmine

After subcutaneous or local application, a dilatation neutralised by physostigmine in moderate doses.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection
Alexander Wynter Blyth
Physostigmine contracts the iris to a point; the action is quite local, and is confined to the eye to which it is applied.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection
Alexander Wynter Blyth
Each of these contains one-thousandth part of a grain of physostigmine sulphate, a quantity which is perfectly efficient.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4
Various
The respiration is at first accelerated by a dose of physostigmine, but is afterwards slowed and ultimately arrested.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4
Various
There is a marked antagonism in nearly all important particulars between the actions of physostigmine and of atropine.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4
Various

British Dictionary definitions for physostigmine

physostigmine

physostigmin (ˌfaɪsəʊˈstɪɡmɪn)

noun

an alkaloid found in the Calabar bean used esp in eye drops to reduce pressure inside the eyeball. Formula: C 15 H 21 N 3 O 2Also called: eserine

Word Origin for physostigmine

C19: from New Latin Physostigma genus name, from Greek phusa bladder + stigma mark

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012