1064

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

be rek asel *

under the influence of the poison, he makes the same kind of struggles to ^ make*that he does when in health. So also if we place him in an uneasy P°® t |i r ’death *j! eattempts to alter his position, proving that his senses are unimpaired. At aI1 j 0-

muscles are susceptible of the galvanic influence. MM. Boutran-Char a t0 theHenry state, that most of the animals to whom they gave conia became ?.{j jty of th emost dreadful convulsions. The plaintive cries, the contortions, and the rig J w hi c ‘'limbs, which have always preceded death, leave no doubt as to the cruel P 0 bser va 'this kind of poisoning brings on.” This account agrees neither with my 0tions, nor with those published by Dr. Christison. , . quest 10 "

Does conia become absorbed? In favour of the affirmative view of t 0 f a bsorP'may be mentioned the fact, that this alkali acts on all the textures admitting ^ ((| thetion; and that the quickness with which the effects occur, are in prop® j ]lt0 theabsorbing power of the part. But the rapidity of its action, when introdu a j c0 ii'veins, is a barrier to the supposition of its acting on the nervous centres oy au a

tact; for Dr. Christison states, that two drops, neutralized by dilute tnuria .i 1 ree s ec« n ^ sinjected into the femoral vein of a young dog, killed the animal in two or tat farthest. T t |,; s co n,a

The primary seat of the action of conia is probably the spinal cord. 4 . ( j so0 b ai jand strychnia agree ; but in the nature of the effect, they seem, as Dr. C eoe rgV 0observed, to be the counterparts of each other. Conia exhausts the nervousthe cord, and causes muscular paralysis ; strychnia irritates it, and produces P ra ]ysis,spasm of the muscles. Both kill by bringing on asphyxia, the first by t" e P| jatt likethe second by the spasm, of the respiratory muscles. It is evident, therefore, ^ ('unc-strychnia and nux vomica fsee p. 913), its operation is on the seat of the r c„ C<t T ^’tions, which, according to Mr. Grainger ( Obs. on the Struct, and Funct. of the ris the gray matter of the spinal cord. ,j{ s easc s ’

These effects of conia suggest its employment in convulsive or spasmodic ^ |,aveas tetanus, poisoning by strychnia, brucia, or nux vomica, hydrophobia* * ■ , the

tried it on a rabbit under the influence of strychnia, and found that itAgg it '•’*»convulsions, but hastened rather than prevented death. In September, 1 , g ’ a bri eltried in a case of hydrophobia at the London Hospital. The following Jis-

report of the case :—“ In the case of hydrophobia, in a man middle-aged, a .j^ lV ereease was fully formed, two minims of conia, dissolved in thirty dropsof acetic ^ |,y aapplied endermically to the praecordium (the cuticle being previously J e ®”d bec al " eblister). The effects were instantaneous. The pulse fell from 64 to 4(5, j es s diP 1 'more regular. The vomiting and convulsions ceased ; the respiration beca g iu a "cult, and the symptoms of the disease appeared to be altogether mitigated. ^ re co-expressed himself as feeling much better, and entertaining hopes of ail ul . (eS th every. These effects were, however, but transitory, and in about seven ■pbre esymptoms began to reappear, and shortly assumed their previous ur ff® nC a fterminims of conia were injected into the rectum, about a quarter of an bou fl f theendermic application of it, but it produced no effect in allaying the syn>P l0 ^j Jied 111disease. The remedy was not repeated, and the man became rapidly worse,a few hours.” destr u<!tlVe

3. Empyreumatic Oil of Hemlock ( Pyro-conia ?).—This oil, obtained by to® Jolt 1 *'

distillation of hemlock, resembles, according to Dr. Monies (Ed. Med. and * "xxxix. 377), that procured from foxglove (see p. 838).

Characteristics for Medico-legal purposes. —Hemlock cao^ :be properly recognized by its botanical characters, already .^ aJlC e 1,1yet its remarkable odour may sometimes be of considerable assis g jglitrecognizing the plant or its preparations; nor is the fact to be ^jglit

of, that potash develops a strong smell of conia. In some cases ^be possible to obtain some conia by distilling the alcoholic extrasuspected substance with water and caustic potash. , a ha'

Physiological Effects, (a.) On vegetables. —Marcet P^ et eS tr aCtricot plant ( Phaseolus vulgaris) in a solution of five grains of tne^ ^eifof hemlock. In a few minutes the two lower leaves curieextremities; the next day they were yellow, and subsequently o 1Chim. et Phys. xxix. 219). Schiibler and Zeller (Schweiggers cl. Chem. Bd. 1. S. 54) also confirm its poisonous operation.