was quickly fatal,—that related by Orfila and Ollivier, there was found much serous effusion on the surface of the cerebellum, and softening of the whole cortical substance of the brain, but especially of the cerebellum. Blumhardt too, found softening of the cerebellum and congestion of the cerebral vessels, together with softening of the spinal cord and general gorging of the spinal veins. This is some confirmation of an opinion advanced not long ago in France by Flourence and others, that nox vomica acts particularly on the cerebellum.[1] In Dr. R. D. Thomson's case, which was examined by Mr. Taylor, there was found much congestion of the whole membranes and substance of the brain and cerebellum, and even some extravasation of blood within the cavity of the arachnoid over the upper surface of the former. Mr. Watt remarked in his case (sixty hours, however, after death in summer) softening of the substance of the brain and the lumbar part of the spinal cord.—In Orfila and Ollivier's case the lungs were found much gorged with black fluid blood.—In Blumhardt's case the heart and great vessels were entirely destitute of blood.—There is sometimes seen, as in Dr. R. D. Thomson's case, a brown powder lining the stomach, even although vomiting may have occurred.
The body appears sometimes to retain for a certain period after death the attitude and expression impressed on it by the convulsions during life. In the instance mentioned by Orfila and Ollivier the muscles immediately after death remained contracted, the head bent back, the arms bent, and the jaws locked. This state may even continue for some hours, so that the body appears to pass into the state of rigidity which precedes decay, without also passing through the preliminary stage of flaccidity immediately after death. In the case related by Mr. Ollier, the body five hours after death "was still as stiff and straight as a statue, so that if one of the hands was moved the whole body moved along with it;" and in Blumhardt's case the rigidity twenty hours after death was unusually great. This state of rigidity, however, does not invariably occur. On the contrary, in animals the limbs become very flaccid immediately after death; but the usual rigidity supervenes at an early period.[2] In Dr. R. D. Thomson's case flaccidity immediately followed death.
Treatment.—Little is known of the treatment in this kind of poisoning. But it is of the greatest moment to evacuate the stomach thoroughly, and without loss of time. Hence emetics are useful; but if the stomach-pump is at hand it ought to be resorted to without waiting for the operation of emetics. Torosiewicz describes the case of a young woman who, after the usual symptoms had begun to appear in consequence of the administration of a tea-spoonful of powder, recovered under the action of an emetic followed by rhatany-*
- ↑ Arch Gén. de Méd. viii. 18.
- ↑ I have not altered the statement as to this point in the former editions. Yet I strongly suspect that authors, who describe the spasm which precedes death to continue as it were into the rigidity which occurs after death, must have observed inaccurately. For in the numerous experiments I have made and witnessed in animals, flaccidity invariably took place at the time of death, and continued for a moderate interval.
