Colchicum

Allen, Supplement to the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica, 1879, Vol. X, p. 474

Authorities. 86, J. Y. Clark, M.D., Am. Med. Rec., vol. i, 1818, p. 369, John R. Peckworth took 100 drops of tincture; 87, ibid., the author took 100 drops; 88, Thos. Kennard, M.D., Am. J. of M. S., 1857 (1), p. 69, a woman, pet. fifty-six years, took one ounce of Colch. wine in twelve hours; 89, Dr. Field, Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. Ivi, 1857, p. 78, a man, jet. twenty-eight years, suffering from rheumatism, took half an ounce of Colch. wine ; 90, W. A. Hammond, M.D., Am. Med. Monthly, Feb., 1861, p. 83, took 1 fluid drachm at 8 a.m., 2 and 10 p.m. (first day) ; li fluid drachms three times (second and third days); 2 drachm (fourth day); I5 drachms (fifth day); 91, ibid., a man, pet. twenty-three years, took 1 drachm tincture three times (first day) ; I2 drachms three times (second day); 92, John H. Garner, M.D., Canada Lancet, vol. iii, 1871, p. 307, R. H. drank about a pint of tincture ; 93, ibid., J. IM. J. took same cpiantity; 94, ibid., T. H. took a small quantity; 95, W. E. Porter, Med. Times and Gaz., 1874 (2), 723, poisoning of two children, pet. four and two years; 96, Canada Pharm. Journ. (Pacif. M. and S. Journ., April, 1874, p. 572), a party of seventeen persons drank from one or two ounces to a pint each, of the wine, seven died; 97, J. Pierre, Comptes Rendus, vol. Ixxix, p. 633 (Pharm. Journ. and Trans., Oct., 1864, p. 325), the author plucked some fully expanded flowers, afterwards extended his hand over a large clump of flowers, carefully avoiding all contact, with the same result.

—Muttered and raved wildly at times, but it only lasted a few m i n u tes —Co m a tose

Head

\m0.'\ Intense headache

Eyes

Eyes red and watery, and the pupils dilated

Much tinnitus aurium

Face

Expression of countenance anxious and haggard

Hectic flush occasionally on cheek-bones

Amelioration

Tonguedry and brown in the centre, and red along the edges

Stomach

(great thirst

Nausea,®f

Sickness

Vomiting in from three-fourths of an hour to an hour an<J a half

The ejecta were bilious, and then of the rice-water character

Abdomen

Extreme tenderness over abdomen, and the intermittent severe pains precisely similar to peritonitis

Tormina

Rectum and Anus

Tenesmus

Stool

Purging

Severe diarrhoea (second day),®h

Purged and vomited violently

Purging in from three-fourths of an hour to an hour and a half, when a large quantity was taken ; later when the quantity was small

Urinary Organs

In three days immediately preceding commencement of experiment, the average quantity of urine for each day was 1425 cubic cent, of spgr. 1021.73. The average amount of solid matter was 64.28 grams; of which 30.18 were inorganic, and 34.10 organic substance. The average amount of uric acid excreted for each period of twenty-four hours was 0.77 grams. Quantity of urine excreted 1685 cubic cent., sp. gr. 1021.5; total amount of solids 70.15 grams, of which 30.90 were inorganic, and 39.25 organic matter; quantity of uric acid 0.81 gram (first day). Quantity of urine 1720 cc., sp. gr. 1020.87 ; total solids 75.29 grams; inorganic solids 32.44 grams; organic solids 42.85 grams; uric acid 0.69 grams (second day). Quantity of urine 1784 cc. ; sp. gr. 1022.57 ; total solids 80.13 grams ; inorganic salts 35.11 grams ; organic solids 45.03 grams; uric acid 0.82 gram (third day). Quantity of urine 1540 cc.; sp. gr. 1023.17; total solids 69.23 grams; inorganic solids 31.09; organic solids 38.14; uric acid 0.78 gram (fourth day). Quantity of urine 1698 cc.; sp. gr. 1023.68 ; total solids 76.14 grams; inorganic solids 32.36 grams ; organic solids 42.88 grams; uric acid 0.76 gram (fifth day)

Average daily quantity of urine 989 cc. ; sp. gr. 1020.14; total solids 51.20 grams; inorganic solids 22.45 grams ; organic solids 28.75 grams; uric acid 0.47 gram (before experiment) ; quantity of urine 1021 cc. ; sp. gr. 1024.18 ; total solids 63.25 grams; inorganic solids 23.57 grams; organic solids 40.68 grams; uric acid 0.59 gram (first day); quantity of urine 875 cc.; sp. gr. 1026.11 ; total solids 60.25 grams; inorganic solids 20.38 grams; organic solids 39.87 grams ; uric acid 0.51 gram (second day)

Respiratory Organs p. 475

Coughed severely at regular intervals

Blood in sputa

Breathing rapid ; heavy, almost stertorous (after a few hours)

Chest p. 475

Great fulness of the chest

Heart and Pulse p. 475

Pulse 80 (before experiment) ; 78 (in five and ten minutes) ; 76 (in fifteen and twenty minutes); 78 (in twenty-five and thirty minutes) ; 80 (in thirty-five, forty, and forty-five minutes) ; 78 (in fifty minutes) ; 76 (in fifty-five minutes); 72 (in sixty minutes); 70 (in sixty-five minutes); 68 (in seventy and seventy-five minutes); 72 (in eighty and ninetyfive minutes) ; 70 (in one hundred minutes); 72 (in one hundred and five, one hundred and ten, and one hundred and fifteen minutes); 76 (in one hundred and twenty minutes); 80 (in one hundred and eighty and two hundred and forty minutes)

In five minutes after taking the medicine, his pulse became considerably reduced, both in force and frequency ; in thirty-five minutes he had a copious discharge of pale-colored urine, his pulse much increased ; in fifty minutes, very sleepy, pulse again reduced ; in seventy minutes, his mental faculties became much exhilarated, pulse very slow and soft; in ninety minutes, perfectly free from any peculiar feelings, pulse somewhat increased ; in one hundred and eighty minutes, pulse very natural

Pulse 70 (before experiment); 52 (in five minutes); 48 (in ten minutes); 46 (in fifteen minutes); 42 (in twenty and twentyfive minutes) ; 48 (in thirty minutes); 43 (in thirty-five minutes) ; 45 (in forty and forty-five minutes); 39 (in fifty minutes) ; 43 (in fifty-five minutes) ; 46 (in sixty minutes) ; 50 (in sixty-five, seventy, and seventy-five minutes) ; 45 (in eighty, eighty-five, and ninety minutes) ; 47 (in ninetyfive minutes) ; 50 (in one hundred, one hundred and five, one hundred and ten, one hundred and fifteen, one hundred and twenty, and one hundred and twenty-five minutes) ; 53 (in one hundred and thirty minutes) ; 55 (in one hundred and thirty-five minutes) ; 57 (in one hundred and forty minutes) ; 60 (in one hundred and forty-five, one hundred and fifty, one hundred and fifty-five, one hundred and sixty, and one hundred and sixty-five minutes); 65 (in two hundred minutes); 70 (in two hundred and seventyfive and three hundred minutes),®k

In five minutes after taking the medicine my pulse became diminished, both in force and frequency ; in fifteen minutes I felt considerable flushes of heat passing over my face, and followed by a considerable degree of vertigo ; in fifty minutes, my pulse became still more diminished; in sixty-five minutes, I was somewhat sleepy; and in seventy-five minutes, I was very sleepy, attended with a slight diaphoresis; in one hundred and thirty minutes, my pulse began to increase in frequency, but continued diminished in force; and in two hundred and thirty-five minutes, was natural, both as to force and frequency

Pulse 160 ; grew feeble (after a few hours),*’l

Superior Extremities p. 476

Numbness in the arms

In a few seconds his fingers changed color, and took the livid greenish tint characteristic of a corpse in a state of incipient decomposition. After about ten seconds the skin regained its color

Cramps of the fingers

Generalities p. 476

Convulsions

Extreme prostration, suffering from excessive nausea and vomiting, with slight purging, heat and burning in the fauces, inordinate thirst, cold, clammy skin, feeble pulse, violent supraorbital pain, and distressing gastralgia, with very anxious countenance

Pale, cold, vomiting constantly, purging, and complaining of great thirst and pain at the epigastrium

The symptoms were mainly those of violent cholera morbus

Debility,®k

Very much exhausted

Similar symptoms, but milder, except the headache, which he described as most intense