this she never recovered: she seemed to fall into a state of asphyxia, relaxed her grasp, and dropped her hands on her knees. Her brows, however, remained contracted, her lips drawn apart, salivary foam issued from the corners of the mouth, and the expression of the countenance was altogether most horrific." She died an hour after swallowing the poison.[1]—A case precisely similar, produced by three pence worth of the powder, and fatal in little more than an hour, is related by Mr. Watt of Glasgow.[2]—Another apparently also similar but fatal in three hours, is related by Dr. R. D. Thomson.[3] There is in fact very little variety of symptoms in different cases, where death occurs in the primary stage.—Occasionally even in such rapid cases there is a little vomiting in the first instance. This was remarked in Mr. Watt's case, and also in another described by MM. Orfila and Ollivier.[4]
When death does not take place thus suddenly in a fit of spasm, the person continues to be affected for twelve or sixteen hours with similar, but milder paroxysms; and afterwards he may either recover without farther symptoms, or expire in a short time apparently from exhaustion, or suffer an attack of inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which may or may not prove fatal.
M. Jules Cloquet has described a case, where the patient seemed to die of the excessive exhaustion produced by the violent, long continued spasms. The tetanic fits lasted about twenty-four hours, the sensibility in the intervals being acute. Slight signs of irritation in the stomach succeeded; and death ensued on the fourth morning.[5]
In the Bulletins of the Medical Society of Emulation another case is related, which arose from an over-dose of the alcoholic extract being taken by an old woman who was using it for palsy. She took three grains at once. Violent tetanus was soon produced; and afterwards she had a regular attack of inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which proved fatal in three days.
The last instance to be noticed exemplifies very well the effects of the poison when the quantity is insufficient to cause death. A young woman swallowed purposely a drachm mixed in a glass of wine. In fifteen minutes she was seized with pain and heat in the stomach, burning in the gullet, a sense of rending and weariness in the limbs succeeded by stiffness of the joints, convulsive tremors, tottering in her gait, and at length violent and frequent fits of tetanus. Milk given after the tetanus began excited vomiting. She was farther affected with redness of the gums, inflammation of the tongue, burning thirst, and pain in the stomach. The pulse also became quick, and the skin hot. Next day, though the fits had ceased, the muscles were very sore, especially on motion. The tongue and palate were inflamed, and there was thirst, pain in the stomach, vomiting, colic and diarrhœa. These
