The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-24 00:00:00

DEATH BY ACONITE.

In an essay written by Dr. Headland, and pup'
fished in the Lancet, of March 26, 1856, shortll
after the accidental poisoning at Dingwall from
tb
root of monkshood eaten by mistake for horseradish'
a number of such cases of poisoning were passed itt
review, and the symptoms produced by acoeita
summed up as follows ;—" First, tingling of tb
tongue; then, tingling followed by numbness of 018
face, and of the arms about the same time. Then ft
feeling as if the face were large, and sensation 01
tightness in the throat (both, probably, caused 191
paralysis of the sensory with more or less affection
of the motor nerves). Next comes vomiting ; ne
se
loss of power in the lower extremities. The pules
is feeble; the breathing laborious. Death eneoeB
oy syncope or stoppage of the heart. There 03°9,
t.
be brain symptom ; but they are not constat;
The pupils, according to Dr. Headland, are daa'fee
It is interesting and instructive to notice hOhea
the account given us of the sufferings Jf the wrote re
man Hunt answers to this description. We Li
only partially informed of his sensations, and WP-0
the police were first admitted to his house it NVillp
his object to conceal them as much as pesaitl'ia'
lest the administration of an antidote $Oll "
be insisted upon. It seems that he retained Pla
senses to the last, and was able to use his hat/c/
in writing just before his death. He was
vomiting, and continued to vomit. He was either:
unable or unwilling to swallow the emetics thOf
°
were given to him. (A characteristic symptom t
aconite poisoning is the palsy of the throat).
was able to dress himself when the police insist&
upon it. Dr. Puckle then found him sitting in
chair, retching violently. The countenance Os
pale, and " the eyes had a remarkable expeessi°°'
the pupils being very much dilated," This bear°
out the statement made by Dr. Headland, wbictit
has been much questioned, as being opposed to ttali,
of Dr. Perira, and others, whose dictum that
1100
pupils are contracted under the int:loc,
of aconite has been generally accepted 17J5
toxicologists. Dr. Puckle tells us that big
pulse was scarcely perceptible, the action of t'e.
heart extremely feeble, and the breathing quit
After the second emetic had been forced down, atld,
all the contents of the stomach seemingly ejecteet
Hunt exclaimed, " Oh, my heart !" He could 11,e
walk straight, but fell against the wall, apparel3Wr
without the use of his arms. lie was, howee,l
able with some difficulty to write a s.bort note to )1,
employer within a quarter of an hour of his deaths
He had admitted to his medical attenchent that 'of
might have taken aconite." The inflamed state
0
the stomach observed after death may hove been
due to the sulphate of zinc emetic. The lie':
side of 'the heart was distended, the left e1231),tJ;
There was no other notable morbid symptom.
Puckle conjectured the presenc omitconit in
contents of the stomach and the vby the applalt
a bottle produced O.°,
cation of the only known test—the physiologic.;
one. Two drops found
in
characteristic tingling, followed by numbness, of this
tongue. As it is easy to conceive of a case of 13°1,
well to consider how far a roed„10
soning in which this test may be inapplicable, oe
accouut of the small dose taken, or other circtit°,:
est
etaaal ntiwemeise::)ieets Bei sfwsaousticlhd symptoms pt justifiedom s a s a
those relying
recorded
Pof.
H nut. Prussic acid, digitalis, belladoil°'
the man
(or tobacco), all produce death by eetic°Pef
awl. The rapkiity of its action,
with a tendeemy to vomiting, and great prc°lrlf
the patient long enough, distinguish the 11.13tiiir
Tobacco contracts
these agents. and convalsic°'
the pupil. Pe:
donna, like aconite, dilates the pupil and cau°,o4
difficulty
of deglutition; but belladonna eouttibe
the mind and causes Jeliriuni. Foxglove °IL/Yoe
more easily mistaken for aconite, if we supP°') be
numbing action of the hater to be concealed
bwithi
patient. It may cause Beath by eyncopef„,:irig
dilated pupils, without brain :symptoms. Jill'u43-eve
of the case of Hunt by his symptoms only, ojiet
could positively affirm that be died of ac°,oet
though it wouid seem very probable ; for, ed
distinguishes aconite from all other peis°iit;'''
alone stamps it with a complete inclivioue
is the production of anaesthesia withoaEcialt'
consciousness. There is tingling, followed bYfei
this
net's, first of the tongue, next of the lace, lies: too
arms, and lastly of ttae rest of the surface tenu.: eed
lower extremities. Hunt may have felt all
expected before-hand to feel it ; but he said Vin.:
about it, for until he felt himself dyieg a Loa
recall he did not wish it to be known that
taken poison. Dr. Headland recorumende.ta is
charcoal (to be mixed with water, and gis
large quantities, followed by a zinc emetic) tic
rae
only known antidote to the poison of' acouiie:, and
has found that " aconitina
by qthiuickly tak
1: e,o Vance!,
most obstinately retained e agen