CHAPTER XXXII.

CLASS THIRD.

OF NARCOTICO-ACRID POISONS GENERALLY.

THE Third Class of Poisons, the Narcotico-Acrids, includes those which possess a double action, the one local and irritating like that of the Irritants, the other remote, and consisting of an impression on the nervous system.

Sometimes they cause Narcotism; which is generally of a comatose nature, often attended with delirium; but in one very singular groupe there is neither insensibility nor delirium, but merely violent tetanic spasms.

At other times they excite inflammation where they are applied. This effect, however, is by no means constant. For Orfila justly observes, that under the name of narcotico-acrids several poisons are usually described which seldom excite inflammation. Those which inflame the tissues where they are applied rarely occasion death in this manner. Some of them may produce very violent local symptoms; but they generally prove fatal through their operation on the nervous system.

For the most part, their narcotic and irritant effects appear incompatible. That is, when they act narcotically, the body is insensible to the local irritation; and when they irritate, the dose is not large enough to act narcotically. In large doses, therefore, they act chiefly as narcotics, in small doses as irritants. Sometimes, however, the narcotic symptoms are preceded or followed by the symptoms of irritation; and more rarely both exist simultaneously.

Most, if not all, of them, to whatever part of the body they are applied, act remotely by entering the blood-vessels; but it has not been settled whether they operate by being carried with the blood to the part on which they act, or by producing on the inner membrane of the vessels a peculiar impression, which is conveyed along the nerves. Some of them produce direct and obvious effects where they are applied. Thus monkshood induces a peculiar numbness and tingling of the part with

which it is placed in contact. The organs on which they act remotely are the brain and spine, and sometimes the heart also.

The appearances in the dead body are, for the most part, inconsiderable; more or less inflammation in the stomach or intestines, and congestion in the brain; but even these are not

constant.

As a distinct Class, they differ little from some poisons of the previous classes. Several of the metallic irritants, and a few of the vegetable acrids are, properly speaking, narcoticoacrids: They excite either narcotism or irritation, according to circumstances. But still, the poisons about to be considered form a good natural order when contrasted with these irritants. For the irritants which possess a double action are nevertheless characterized by the symptoms of inflammation being at least their most prominent effects; while the most prominent feature in the effects of the poisons now to be considered is injury of the nervous system. It is more difficult to draw the line of separation between the present class and the pure narcotics; for many of the Narcotico-acrids rarely cause any symptoms but those of Narcotism.

The Narcotico-acrids are all derived from the vegetable kingdom. Many of them owe their power to an alkaloid, consisting of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and a little azote.

The characters which distinguish the symptoms and morbid appearances of the narcotico-acrids from those of natural disease, do not require special mention; for almost all the remarks made in the introduction to the class of Narcotics are applicable to the present class also. A few of the characters, however, which have been laid down, do not apply so well to the Narcotico-acrids as to the narcotics. In particular, it appears that what was said on the short duration of the effects of the narcotics does not apply so well to the Narcotico-acrids, some of which given in a single dose continue to cause symptoms even of narcotism for two or three days. But the rule, that they seldom prove fatal if the case lasts above twelve hours, is still applicable,―at all events they rarely prove fatal after that interval by their narcotic action. The poisonous Fungi, however, have proved fatal as narcotics so late as thirty-six hours, or even three days after they were taken; and perhaps Digi

talis has proved fatal narcotically at the remote period of three weeks. But such cases are extremely rare.

Some of the Narcotico-acrids, such as the different species of Strychnos, are quite peculiar in their effects; so that their symptoms may be distinguished at once from natural disease.

Orfila divides the Narcotico-acrids into six groupes, and this arrangement will be followed in the present work; but they are not all very well distinguished from one another.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

OF POISONING WITH NIGHTSHADE, THORN-APPLE, AND
TOBACCO.

THE first groupe of the Narcotico-acrids comprehends the poisons whose principal symptom is delirium. All the plants of the groupe belong to the natural order Solaneæ, and Linnæus's class Pentandria Monogynia. Those which have been particularly examined are Deadly Nightshade, Thorn-Apple, and

Tobacco.

Of Poisoning with Deadly Nightshade.

The Deadly Nightshade, or Atropa Belladonna, is allied in physiological and botanical characters to the Hyoscyamus and Solanum formerly mentioned; and by the older writers, indeed, was confounded with the latter. It is a native of Britain and grows in shady places, particularly on the edge of woods. The berries, which ripen in September, have a jetblack colour. Their beauty has frequently tempted both children and adults to eat them; and many have suffered severely. But it is not the berry alone which is poisonous; the whole plant is so; but the root is probably the most active part *. From one to four grains of the dried powder of the root will occasion extraordinary dryness in the throat, giddiness, staggering, flushed face, dilated pupils, and sometimes even delirium †. The juice of the leaves is very energetic, two grains of its extract being, when well prepared, a large enough dose to cause disagreeable symptoms in man. It appears, however, to be a very uncertain preparation, unless when procured by evaporation in vacuo; for some samples from the Parisian shops have been found by Orfila to be quite inert.

It contains a peculiar alkaloid, named Atropia. In the Belladonna, as in Hyoscyamus, Brandes obtained a volatile, oilylike, alkaloidal fluid, of a penetrating narcotic smell, and bitterish, acrid taste, slightly soluble in water, and freely soluble in

* Buchner's Toxikologie, 188.

t Wilmer, Die Wirkung der Arzneimittel, &c. i, 360, 362.

alcohol or ether, capable of neutralizing acids and then rendered more fixed, and existing in the plant in the form of salt, so that it cannot be displaced from the leaves by distillation, unless also disengaged from its natural state of combination by the superior affinity of lime or an alkali *. The ulterior researches of Geiger and Hesse, however, as well as the simultaneous analysis of Mein, seem to prove that this fluid is not the pure alkaloid of belladonna, and that the real atropia is a solid substance, forming colourless, silky crystals, soluble in ether and alcohol, sparingly so in water, slightly bitter, liable to decomposition under contact with air and moisture, volatilizable, but with some decomposition, a little above 212°, and forming definite crystallizable salts with acids +. The aqueous solutions of its salts exhale during evaporation a narcotic vapour, which dilates the pupil, and causes sickness, giddiness, and headach‡.

The ordinary extract of belladonna in the dose of half an ounce will kill a dog in thirty hours when introduced into the stomach. Half that quantity applied to a wound will kill it in twenty-four hours. And forty grains injected into the jugular vein prove even more quickly fatal. Convulsions are rarely produced, but only a state like intoxication §.

The oleaginous atropia of Brandes in the dose of two or three drops kills small birds instantaneously like concentrated hydrocyanic acid; in less doses it occasions staggering, gasping, and in a few minutes death amidst convulsions; and the dead body presents throughout the internal organs great venous turgescence and even extravasation of blood, but more especially excessive congestion within the head . The pure crystalline atropia of Mein, when dissolved in water and greatly diluted, causes extreme dilatation of the pupils of long continuance.

Symptoms in Man.-On man the effects of belladonna are much more remarkable. In small doses, whatever be the kind of surface to which it is applied, such as the skin round the

• Annalen der Pharmacie, i. 68.

Ibidem, 1833, or Journal de Pharmacie, xx. 87.

Buchner's Repertorium für die Pharmacie, ix. 71 and 77.

$ Orfila, Toxicol. Gén. ii. 261.

Annalen der Pharmacie, i. 71.