What does coramine mean?
Coramine is the former trade name for nikethamide, a synthetic stimulant that acts on the central nervous system to quicken respiration and, to a lesser degree, circulation. Introduced in the first half of the twentieth century, it earned a place on hospital emergency trolleys as an antidote to poisoning by barbiturates, morphine, and other depressants, and was also given to newborns suffering breathing difficulties. Its name reflects its intended action, drawing on the Latin 'cor' for heart combined with 'amine', the chemical group to which it belongs. Although once considered indispensable, coramine fell out of favour in human medicine because its margin of safety is narrow — excessive doses can trigger convulsions — and more reliable agents have since taken its place. It survives mainly in historical accounts of mid-century medicine and in some veterinary applications, making it a word readers are most likely to meet in older clinical texts than at a modern bedside.
nounCoramine is a proprietary name for nikethamide, a central nervous system and respiratory stimulant formerly widely used to counteract drug overdose, sedative poisoning, and respiratory depression. It is now largely of historical and veterinary interest, having been superseded by safer agents.
- A proprietary preparation of nikethamide, an analeptic drug used as a respiratory and cardiovascular stimulant.
"The emergency physician reached for coramine to rouse the patient from the barbiturate-induced stupor."
"The nurse administered coramine intravenously when the patient's breathing slowed dangerously after the overdose."
"Mid-century medical texts routinely listed coramine among the standard analeptics kept on hospital crash carts."
Rarely pluralized, since the word refers to a single proprietary preparation; any plural use would denote multiple doses or preparations.
"The dispensary stocked several ampoules labeled simply as coramines from different manufacturers."
Before modern resuscitation drugs, doctors literally injected 'cor' — Latin for heart — into patients to kick-start their breathing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coramine
Coramine takes its name from the Latin 'cor', meaning heart, joined to 'amine', the nitrogen-containing chemical class to which the compound nikethamide belongs. The name was coined by its Swiss manufacturer, Ciba, in the early twentieth century to signal the drug's stimulating effect on the heart and circulation. It belongs to the same broad family of pharmaceutical coinages that borrowed classical roots for bodily organs, cognate in spirit with words such as 'cardiac' and 'cordial', which likewise trace back to terms for the heart.
How coramine is actually used
Coramine is chiefly encountered today in historical medical literature, pharmacology references, and veterinary contexts; it is not part of routine modern clinical vocabulary in human medicine. As a trademarked name rather than a generic term, it is capitalized in older sources and should not be treated as synonymous with the broader class of analeptics.
Easily confused with coramine
Coral is the hard calcareous substance formed by marine polyps, whereas coramine is a pharmaceutical stimulant drug; the two share only a superficial resemblance in spelling.
Cocaine is a stimulant alkaloid derived from coca leaves with high abuse potential, while coramine (nikethamide) is a medicinal respiratory stimulant used clinically against overdose and respiratory depression.