Juniperus Virginiana

Allen, The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica, 1874, Vol. V, p. 207

Juniperus Virginiana, Linn.

Natural order, Coniferie.

Common names. Red Cedar, Savin.

Preparation, Tincture from the twigs.

Aidhorities. 1, Dr. Charles A. Lee, Am. J. Med. Sc., 21, p. 345, a woman took an ounce of the oil to procure abortion; 2, Dr. Samuel C. Wait, Bost. M. and S. Journ., 1849, p. 469, a woman, aged 26, took a large teaspoonful of the oil; 3, same, Mrs. A. E. B., aged 32, took some (dose not mentioned) ; 4, same. Miss L. K., aged 17, subject to fits of mental derangement, but otherwise healthy, took an ounce of the oil; 5, same. Miss A. G., aged 17 (about two teaspoonfuls found in stomach); 6, C. H. Cleveland, Bost. Med. and Surg. J., 44, p. 336, Miss-, took half an ounce of the oil; 7, Dr. Inhales, Bost. M. and S. Journ., 57, 384, a girl took half an ounce of oil for an emmenagogue ; 8, Dr. Hodgdon, same reference, effects on a woman; 9, Dr. C. Holly, Detroit Rev. of Med. and Pharm., July, 1876, p. 478, Mrs. W. took half an ounce.

Mind

Fmotional. During the paroxysm (of fever) raved incoherently,h

Delirious (after six hours),’*; (after several hours)

Moaned most piteously

Fright

Intellectual. During the morning of her death she lay in a stupid state; answered no questions, and did not appear to be sensible

As the convulsions continued the stupor became more and more profound

At the end of an hour and a half from the time at which she was found the convulsions ceased altogether, leaving her in a state of profound coma, breathing heavily but regularly

She lay apparently in a deep comatose sleep until about 9 oclock next day, when she awoke to perfect consciousness, with no recollection of what had occurred since swallowing the oil

Head p. 208

Dizzy (after fourteen hours); (after several hours, and second day)

Head felt bad

Head felt as if inclosed with an iron baud (after a few minutes)

Eyes p. 208

Eyes somewhat bloodshot, but as the patient had been weeping I did not know but the sclerotic congestion might in part have been caused by that

Eyes began to glare and twitch

Eyes felt as if bursting from their sockets (after a few minutes)

Pupil. Pupils dilated

Pupil dilated to one-half of the width of the iris

Pupil completely dilated

Face p. 208

Very red in the face

Countenance assumed a venous aspect

Face swollen and livid

Veins of the face, head, and neck fully distended

One-half of the lower lip and part of the chin, and down upon the side of the neck, were much swollen, and of a dark hue, almost like ecchymoses from a bruise ; the tongue and gums, too, were involved in a similar swelling and lividity

Jaws firmly fixed

Mouth p. 208

Thought it would take the skin from her mouth and throat

She could not speak so as to be understood ; she articulated like a person laboring under hemiplegia

Throat p. 208

Fauces in spots denuded of their mucous covering

Stomach p. 208

Thirst, Thirst (after several hours and on second day)

Great thirst

Nausea and Vomitinp. Nausea

Sick and distressed at her stomach (second day)

Vomited

A slight attempt at emesis, and a very little of the oil was vomited

Vomited between the fits; the matter vomited emitted the odor of cedar oil

Vomited freely

Vomiting of a black matter and afterwards of a green matter; the vomiting continued all day

Stomach . Considerable distension and tenderness at pit of stomach

Distress at her stomach (after several hours and on second day)

Pain in her stomach

On being requested to put her hand on the seat of suffering she put it upon her stomach,*_ Stomach burned

Abdomen p. 208

Abdomen swollen and hot,®

Pain in the bowels

Complained of intensity of pain in abdomen

Stool p. 208

Violent purging, which continued till death

Bowels loose the first day, but for the last twenty-four hours nothing had passed them

Urinary Organs p. 208

Great difficulty in passing urine

Sexual Organs p. 208

Uterine haemorrhage

Respiratory Organs p. 208

soft parts about the neck were sucked down at every effort at inspiration, and the lower jaw descended * ®._ Stertor continued for a few minutes; it was succeeded by breathing- of a very different kind; and the chief character of this was an unsuc(?essful heaving of the chest in inspiration for breath, and a limpsy dropping together of the chest in expiration * ®.

Expiration slow and without assistance from the expiratory muscles; the chest appeared to fall together from its own weight

Heart and Pulse p. 208

Pulse less than 60, afterwards sank to 45, then intermitted

Pulse 55 (one hour and a half after she was found);'after an hour it began to rise in frequency, became more regular, narrow, normal pd finn; over 100 (after six hours)

Pulse 50; afterwards began to intermit

Pulse 45, wide, and soft; afterwards 40 and 45; after bleeding to the amount of twelve to sixteen ounces, 35, yet regular,®._Pulse fluttering, feeble, and slow, not more than 55 in a minute, and very irregular

Superior Extremities p. 209

Hands at times clenched

Inferior Extremities p. 209

Staggering

Generalities p. 209

Objective, Twitching of the muscles

Convulsions for three or four hours

A most violent convulsion came on, and all further consciousness was lost for twelve hours. Convulsions rapidly succeeded each other, until within two hours she had eleven

Whole body, neck, trunk, and extremities perfectly stiff, all the voluntary muscles being in that state of violent contraction called by Cullen qmstic rigidity and by some others “tonic spasm and the whole body at the same time jerking; her eyes glaring and still; jaws set; hands clenched; breathing struggling; choking and strangling; countenance bloated and livid, and her pulse as low as 60 per minute, very wide, and soft; soon her breathing became more free, uniform, and active, and at each expiration puffed out blubbers from her mouth, and at each inspiration hauled them in; coincident with the improvement in her breathing the jerking abated, and the spasm of the muscles gave way, till her arms fell limpsy by her side; the whole system then became relaxed, and the breathing quite easy and quiet, yet the eye remained glaring and fixed, the pulse slow, wide, and soft, yet the stupor so profound that no sign of consciousness could be elicited; this paroxysm was soon followed by another, which began by jerking of the eyes, followed by jerking of the head, contraction of the muscles of one side of the face and neck, then those of the other side, those of the back of the neck, those of the arms, trunk, and lower limbs, in rapid succession; when the muscles of the arms and of the body generally contracted, the arms were reached out imploringly, which with the accompanying groan, if groan that noise could be called, anxious and strained eye, and distorted countenance, was the natural language to the bystanders of the extremest terror and amazement, although the patient was entirely unconscious; then followed violent jerking of the whole body, the breathing being nearly suppressed ; after a little time the jerking gradually abated, and the breathing became more free, and the symptoms given of the latter part of former paroxysm succeeded and in the same order; followed by other convulsions; pulse 55, intermitting, wide, and soft

The whole system of voluntary muscles tightened with the most rigid spasm, the whole body jerking, the eyes glaring, pupils dilated a little, pulse 60 per minute, and respiration struggling, catching, and strangling; followed by another paroxysm which, as in other cases, began by a jerking of the eyes, followed by jerking of the head, contraction of the muscles of one side of the face and neck, those of the other side, those of the back of the neck, those of the arm, trunk, and extremities, accompanied by the same imploring reaching of the arms, groan, if groan that noise can be called, glaring eye, and natural language of the most extreme terror and amazement, and this succeeded by jerking of the whole body; so heartsickening, and indeed frightful, was her appearance that but few of the bystanders could bear the sight; some fainted, and others covered their faces with their handkerchiefs and turned away; so imperfectly did the spasm pass ofi between the paroxysms that the patient was in constant motion ; two or three men tried to hold her still, but they could not do it so as to prevent the medicine being spilt. I had constantly to keep some hard substance between her teeth to prevent their shutting

The patient passed into an apparently apoplectic state, accompanied with stertorous breathing, as the convulsions ceased

At the end of forty minutes from the commencement of the convulsions they ceased altogether, leaving the patient and a pulse numbering about 50 per minute

After the convulsions ceased, an apparently apoplectic state, accompanied with stertorous breathing, twitching of the voluntary muscles, venous countenance, and pulse between 40 and 45

When the fever was ofi, appeared much exhausted

Much exhausted, or in a state of prostration, when she made an effort to inspire; when the air passed oxd of the chest all strength seemed wanting

Found on the floor, and supposed to be dying

Slihjcctlv&» Felt very strangely (after a few minutes)

Sore all over (after fourteen hours),^; (second day),h