Cicuta Maculata

Authorities. 4, G. W. Wright, Bost. Med. Intelligencer, vol. ii, 1825, p. 171, poisoning of a youth ; 5, “ W.,” Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. X, 1834, p. 107, a man chewed and swallowed about 15 grains of the green root; 6, Dr. John Stockbridge, New Eug. Journ. of Med. and Surg., vol. iii, p. 334, a boy, jet. fifteen years, ate about 1 drachm of the root; 7, same, a boy, set. seven years, ate about ^ drachm of root; 8, a boy, set. five years, ate about the same quantity ; 9, G. W. Norman, M.D., Virginia Med. Month., fatal poisoning of a young man, set. seventeen years, by the root.

Mind

Delirium (after half an hour)

Entirely insensible

Head

Began to feel queer about the head (after half an hour)

Hue

Eyes glassy and wandering

Pupils dilated

Pupils were greatly dilated, and did not contract when a candle was presented

Pupils dilated and insensible

Eyes too sensible to light (after half an hour)

Face

Countenance pale

Deathly paleness, resembling that of a drowned person

Jaws locked

Amelioration

Frothing at the mouth

Throat

Muscles of deglutition spasmodically affected, on presenting any substance to the mouth

Stomach

Nausea and vomiting

Vomiting

Sick at the stomach (after one hour)

Vomiting several times

Ejections of frothy mucus, mixed with a dai’k flocculent sediment and blood

Every few minutes he complained of a sensation of universal distress, with oppression of the stomach

Stool

Inclination to stool

Respiratory Organs

Stertorous breathing

False

Pulse hardly perceptible

Pulse very feeble

Pulse 50 to the minute

The pulse was almost, and at times quite imperceptible

Pulse before the convulsion 51, and of the ordinary strength, afterwards weak ; could not be felt during the convulsion

Generalities

Frequent twitching of the muscles of the body and extremities

Constant jactitation

Antagonizing muscles alternately convulsed, drawing the eyes and angles of the mouth right and left, in quick succession

Convulsions

Violent convulsive fits, with frothing at the mouth, which continued for about an hour and a half, when he died

Convulsion of a decidedly epileptic kind, lasting four or five minutes, marked by frothing at the mouth, distorted, livid countenance, and short spasms of all the muscles (after half an hour)

Several convulsions at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes

Sleep

Inclination to sleep

During the intervals of vomiting he lav ill deep sleep

Fever

Whole body and extremities cold

Extremities cold