Gamboge (Cambogid)

Symptoms

Violent vomiting, severe pain in the stomach and excessive purging, followed by great prostration of strength.

Treatment

Carbonate of potash should be given as follows: -

Carbonate of potash, 20 grains.

Mucilage, or solution of gum, 1/2 oz.

Water to make up 1 ounce. Mix, and take every hour until the purging has stopped. When this is the case, and the poison is supposed to be evacuated, give the following every half hour: -

Tincture of opium, 10 drops.

Water, 1 ounce. Mix.

Gamboge is a gum resin obtained from the Garcinia Morella, a native of Spain. It is but little used in legitimate medicine, on account of its violent and uncertain action. Quack pills contain it in very variable quantities.

Hellebores, The

The Green Hellebore (Helleborus viridis).

The White Hellebore (Veratrum album).

The Black Hellebore, or Christmas rose (Helleborus niger).

The Foetid Hellebore (Helleborus foetidd).

All of these are powerful poisons, the white hellebore especially so.

Symptoms

Vomiting, purging, giddiness, dilatation of the pupils, convulsions, insensibility, great heat of the throat, and tightness, with severe pain in the stomach.

Treatment

Vomiting should be ' excited by large doses of solution of gum and other mucilaginous fluids (such as milk, white of egg, etc.), and injections of the same materials should be thrown up into the bowel.

Coffee should then be given freely, and acidulous fluids and camphor-water.

The roots and leaves of this plant are both poisonous, the roots especially.

Hemlock (Conium Maculatum) (See Plate)

Symptoms

This plant attacks the muscular power, and causes paralysis of the limbs, sickness, pain in the head, drowsiness, and sometimes it so affects the muscles of respiration as to cause death.

Treatment

The stomach should be evacuated by some powerful emetic, such as the following: -

Sulphate of zinc, 20 grains.

Dissolved in water, a wineglassful. Or, Mustard, 1 teaspoonful. Common salt, 1 teaspoonful. Warm water, a tumblerful.

After this, cold water should be applied to the head. Vinegar and water (see under Deadly Nightshade) should be administered.

The poisonous properties of this plant reside in the leaves, which somewhat resemble parsley, for which they have occasionally been mistaken. The seeds and the root are also poisonous.

Henbane (Hyoscyamus) (See Plate)

Symptoms

Vomiting, double vision, dilatation of the pupils, sleepiness, loss of muscular power, a peculiarly tremulous motion of the limbs, flushing of the countenance, heat and weight of head, giddiness, fulness of the pulse, and general excitement.

If the dose has been a large one, the symptoms will be aggravated, there will be loss of speech, delirium, coma, coldness of the surface, and jerkings of the muscles.

Treatment

As soon as possible, empty the stomach by emetics, and give acidulous drinks; if, however, the poison has entered the system, purgatives must be given.

The seeds are the most poisonous, the leaves next, and the roots last.