Coniinum

An alkaloid from Conium maculatum, L.

Formica, C8H15N. (Conicine.)

Preparation, Tincture.

Authorities. 1, Dr. Pohlmann, proving with 1 to 50 drops of the 1st dil., Hygeia, 10, 468 ; 2, C. v. Schopf, twenty-seven experiments on three healthy Diagram illustrating the variations of the Dynamometer in three persons under the influence

of Coniinum. From Dr. Burman. (W. Riding Lunatic Asylum Reports, 1872.) persons with doses of 0.003 to 0.085 gram., Lehrbuch d. Pharm.; 3, Veil,

*■ tuarn»-, 1, effects of application of Connu. with oil of cinnamon to a carious tooth ; 4, Albert, Deutsch. Khu., 1853, a woman suffering with cancer of the breast, violent headache, and roaring in the ears, took for the severe pain in the cancer Jgth of a grain daily ; 5, same, a young man, effects of smelling the alkaloid (smells like Nicotin) ; 6, a second man, same ; 7, Dr. J. W. Burman, effects of a subcutaneous injection of m. x. of a solution of Conia (equal to 2 min. of the alkaloid); 8, Effects of subcutaneous injections on several hospital attendants (healthy), with record of the dynamometer, see Table III.

Mind p. 517

Emotional. A great feeling of calm and tranquillity, and some slowness of the mental processes (after one hour and ten minutes)

I was fast losing all interest in the game, and doubted whether I could go on with it ; but I managed to do so by dint of great effort (after forty-five minutes)

Intellectual. Loss of consciousness, like a faintness

Head p. 517

Confusion and Vertigo. Confusion, heaviness, and a sensation of pressure in the head ; these symptoms became very severe, were conjoined with vertigo and inability to think or fix the attention on any subject (soon)

Vertigo? 5

Vertigo, with loss of power, lasting the whole day ; indeed the inclination to vertigo and excessive weariness lasted three weeks

She suffered from vertigo with great prostration for four weeks

Slight vertigo

The free open air relieved the vertigo and confusion of the head, but in one experiment it caused pain along the course of the nervus supraorbitalis and cutaneous males

Eyes p. 517

Lids. Eyelids felt heavy (after twenty minutes)

Pupil. Pupils dilated

Vision. Vision indistinct; all objects swim

Confusion of vision (after fifteen minutes) ; much confusion (after thirtyfive minutes) ; almost right again (after two hours and ten minutes)

Special distortion of vision, so that all objects seemed to waver, or seemed excessively large, as for example, one thought he saw his own nose as a shapeless mass

Ears p. 517

Hearing weakened; the ears feel as if stopped with cotton

Illusions of hearing

Face p. 517

Face sunken, pale

Numbness of the muscles about the jaws

Mouth p. 517

Tongue. Tongue pale, paralyzed, and numb, soon

The epithelium of the tongue was denuded in several places; the papilla? were very prominent (soon)

General 31outh. Violent burning in the mouth (immediately)

Saliva. Accumulation of saliva (soon)

Throat p. 517

Scraping in the throat (immediately)

Dysphagia

Stomach p. 517

Eructation. Eructations

Nausea and Vomiting. Nausea, with inclination to vomit, and vomiting in one case

Slight feeling of nausea with the giddiness (one or two cases)

Vomiting (one case)

Abdomen p. 517

Rumbling, with distension of the abdomen

Rectum and Anus p. 517

Inclination to diarrhoea (in some cases)

Respiratory Organs p. 517

Voice was rather thick, and I mumbled my words somewhat when speaking (after thirty-five minutes)

Respiration frequently yawning

Heart and Pulse p. 517

Pulse at first from large doses became somewhat increased, afterwards always diminished ; this diminution was not in proportion to the doses (as is the case with Aconite), for the pulse usually sank lower from small closes, when it was always small and weak

Pulse (previously 70), small, 59 (after ten minutes), 68 (after twenty-four minutes), normal (after half an hour)

Pulse (previously 72), 62 (after six minutes), 60 (after eight minutes), normal (after half an hour), 2d proving

Neck and Back p. 518

Spasmodic distortion of the neck, with spasms in the face, which drew the mouth up to a point

Pain in the left lumbar region, like a slight rheumatism, lasting two hours, and gradually disappearing (after three hours)

Extremities in General p. 518

In fifteen minutes slight weakness of the legs ; in twenty-five minutes the weakness of the legs and knees was more marked, and there was a certain amount of unsteadiness in my gait as I walked around the table; in thirty-five minutes, the numbness and weakness of both legs and arms were well marked, and I felt that I handled the cue awkwardly, and that, when standing still, there was an inclination to sway backwards and forwards, while the knees began to give way under me ; in forty-five minutes the weakness of both arms and legs was intensified ; I could not now walk without swerving to one side or staggering ; in one hour and ten minutes my legs were very stiff, and awkward in motion, and it was just as much as I could do to get along. I had to progress slowly. I felt, with regard to my limbs, as if I was getting up to walk after a short rest at the end of a day's good pedestrianism, or as if I had just landed after a long swim, and altogether, a quiet rest on the sofa would have been most acceptable to me. It was now only possible to get upstairs with the greatest effort, and I did so in a very awkward manner, and often knocked my toes against the steps, but, strange to say, I felt it more difficult to go down than up stairs. When I sat down I had to let myself drop suddenly when within a few inches of the seat. In two hours and ten minutes, my limbs were rapidly regaining their strength. In two hours and twenty minutes, the legs were nearly all right again, but the arms still weak. Three hours after the injection I felt quite well again, and could move about with ease as before the injection

Excessive heaviness of the arms and legs, especially of the left arm

Superior Extremities p. 518

No means were at hand for testing the exact loss of power in the legs; but, by the use of "Salter's improved dynamometer I was enabled to measure, pretty accurately, the loss of power in the arms and muscles of the back. On two occasions I took seven healthy adults, and, previous to injection, made them exert their utmost strength in pulling the handle of the dynamometer. I then injected each mx of a solution, according to my formula, mij of Conia, and made them pull at the dynamometer every quarter of an hour for two hours and a quarter afterwards. The following plate exhibits charts (obtained from three different persons) typical of the results I got. The rapid loss of power after injection, and the gradual return to the status quo, as the effects of the drug pass off, are alike well shown. The amount pulled is given in stones and halves of stones,8. See Plate III.

Could only move the upper extremities with great exertion

Some numbness with tingling of the arms (after twenty minutes)

Tonic cramp in the muscles of the ball of the thumb, with a painful sensation on strongly adducting the thumb

Inferior Extremities p. 518

Objective. Gait unsteady and tottering on account of weakness in the lower extremities ; the weakness continued even the next day, with trembling

The muscular weakness was especially marked on going out to walk ; the gait seemed automatic, inasmuch -as there was a tendency to carry the body forward, so that as little muscular power as possible should be used

Subjective. "Legs felt independent, and as if they didn't care for him or anybody else

Legs

Vn% ney w^§'hed a ton

Tendency to cramp in one of the calves

LOU.] Cramp in the muscles of the calves, on ascending steps, or on drawing oft the boots, together with cramps in various groups of muscles, on exerting them

Generalities p. 519

Objective. All movements were slow and labored (after one hour and ten minutes)

Remarkable weakness and prostration, so that to was difficult to keep the head erect

Faintness and nausea

Subjective. Touch indistinct; a sensation as though the skin were covered with a furze, with formication

Great disturbance of the general condition ; feeling as after a debauch

Felt as if he had been working hard all day

Felt as if he had been fashed (sic) a bit night before, and tired-like

One felt as if he had been up all night on special extra night duty, and should like to go to bed

Considerable local smarting for a few seconds after the injection

Sleep p. 519

Overpowered with sleep

Fever p. 519

Hands bluish, cold

Head and face became very warm (after three minutes)

Moisture on the tips of the fingers ; in large doses the fingers as well as the hands become even wet, in all the provers

Conditions p. 519

Aggravation.

(On ascending steps), Cramp in calves.

(On drawing off boots), Cramp in calves.

Amelioration p. 519

( Open air), Vertigo, etc.