Benzinum Nitricum

Nitro-benzine ("essence of mirbane," or "artificial" oil of bitter almonds). Formula, C12H5N04. Prepared by heating Benzol with Nitric acid ; the oily fluid formed is washed and rectified ; it is miscible with Alcohol, has an odor of bitter almonds, and is very poisonous.

Authorities. 1, Treulich, When Med. Presse, 11, 13, two cases poisoned by taking about half a thimbleful ; 2, Bahrdt, Archiv f. Deutsch. Heilk., 1871, poisoned by drinking about six drops in some liquor; 3, Leathery, London Hosp. Rep., 1865, J. E. spattered some on his clothes, so that he inhaled the fumes ; 4, Ibid., G. G. took a little in his mouth by mistake; he immediately spit it out and rinsed his mouth with water ; 5, Ibid., H. A. took a little in his mouth to remove the smell of tobacco ; 6, Ibid., a woman cooked some food in a cup which had contained Nitro-benzol ; 7, Kreuser, Wurt. corr. Bl., 37 (A. H. Z., M. B., 16, 48) ; 8, Riefkhol, Deutsch. Kb, 1868 ; 9, Schenk, Zeit. f. Ger. Med., 1866, a pregnant girl poisoned herself; 10, Muller, ibid., a young man took a teaspoonful in water; 11, Helbig, Deutsche. Mil. Arz., 3, 1873, several soldiers drank some from a flask.

Mind

Extreme mental excitement (after two hours)

Inability to think connectedly

Unconscious (after a quarter of an hour)

Unconscious, with leaden color, livid lips, moderately warm skin, and weak, irregular pulse

Unconscious, with livid face, purple lips, dilated pupils, slow, difficult, and scarcely perceptible respiration, and death

Loss of consciousness

Loss of consciousness, fell from her chair (after half an hour)

Loss of consciousness for twenty-four hours

Comatose some hours

Complete coma, which appeared suddenly

Profound coma, with livid, purple face, closed eyes, moderately dilated pupils, cold skin, difficult, slow respiration, pulse small, slow or accelerated, irregular

Head p. 131

Vertigo u.

Vertigo and headache

Headache

-Sensation of formication under the scalp, or as if the hair was bristling up

Sleep and Dreams p. 131

The white of the eye had a livid look, vessels greatly enlarged, pupils much dilated, insensible to the light

Strabismus

Staring eyes

Lids closed

Great injection of the conjunctiva bulbi

Eyeballs roll from right to left constantly

Eyeballs constantly roll on their vertical axis

The eyeballs showed a constant turning inward and outward in a slow regular motion, with the visual axes perfectly parallel

Eyeballs seemed enlarged

Pupils dilated,1 3, etc.

Pupils dilated, sluggish

Violent roaring in the ears, and sounds

Face p. 131

Expression stupid

Stupid expression of face (after four hours)

He looked stupid and sick (after four hours)

Face puffy, swollen, and had a relaxed look

Cyanotic face

Face cyanotic (fourth hour)

Face blue

Blue color in the face (after twenty minutes)

Face blue and pale

Face bluish-gray, sunken

Face red

Face red, with purple lips and cold skin (after two hours)

Trismus

Trismus and tetanus

Lips of a dark blue color

Mouth p. 131

Tongue white, somewhat swollen

Tongue thick and soft

Mouth clenched

Mucous membrane of lips and mouth livid and swollen

Stammering speech

Stomach and Abdomen p. 131

Burning in throat and stomach

Nausea ( after four hours)

Inclined to vomit

Vomiting

Vomiting (after half an hour)

Vomiting while unconscious

Vomited what he had eaten (after four hours)

Pains in the abdomen

Respiratory Organs p. 131

Sighing respiration

Respiration rattling, frequently interrupted

Respiration regular, somewhat difficult ; on auscultation, mucous rales in the large bronchi

Respiration short and rapid (after three hours)

Respiration exceedingly slow, so that it frequently seems to cease

Respiration and pulse continued to become slower until the patient died

Respiration very superficial and slow

Dyspnoea (after two hours)

Respiration difficult, catching, and accelerated

Chest p. 131

Oppression of the chest

Severe oppression of chest

Heart and Pulse p. 131

Heart exceedingly irregular (after two hours),5..

Palpitation (after half an hour)

The heart beat 120 a minute ; carotid and temporal arteries pulsating

Pulse small, rapid

Pulse 100, very weak, and irregular

Pulse 130, weak, and intermitting (after two hours)

Pulse full and slow

Pulse scarcely perceptible

Week p. 131

Stiff neck

Stiffness of the neck, trismus, and fibrillar twitchings in the masseter muscles

Upper Extremities p. 131

Twitch ings in the hands and feet

Twitchings in arms

Arms spasmodically flexed

Arms spasmodically flexed, sometimes extended

Arms spasmodically flexed at first, afterwards relaxed

-Finger nails colored blue

Generalities p. 131

Gait tottering and uncertain, as if intoxicated

Tottering gait, and tendency to fall

He walked like a drunken man, staggering here and there

Violent convulsions

Convulsions paroxysmal

Convulsions and loss of consciousness ; the head sunk upon the shoulder; purple lips, and clenched teeth ; the eyes closed (sixth hour)

Chronic cramps and tetanus

Tetanic convulsions, relieved for a few minutes by dashes of cold water, and followed by deep coma

Tetanic spasms of the flexor muscles, especially of the upper extremities and of the masticators

Faintness

Sinking

Was obliged to lie down on account of exhaustion (after half an hour)

Symptoms come suddenly, several hours after taking

Skill p. 132

The skin, especially the face and neck, also of the extremities, was livid

Skin bluish-gray

Skin dry and cyanotic, lips blue

Irritability of the skin completely lost

Sleep and Dreams p. 132

Sleepiness

Complains of sleepiness (after four hours)

Fever p. 132

Skin cold

Sweat on the forehead and face

Conditions p. 132

Amelioration.

(Dashing cold water), Tetanic spasms.