The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-04-17
PSYCHOLOGICAL NOTES.

| An Italian journal, according to the Lancet, re
cords case in which, to a child two years OF age
the administration Of a grain and half Of santo.
nine was followed by convulsons, beginning in
the face and extending over the whole body, with
dilatation Of the pupils, hlnderance to respiration
and urine colored by the blood, The most efiea-
cious therapeutic measure was found to be aria-
cial respiration whenever paralytic asphyxla
threatened. The convulslons continued for three
days, gradually lessening IT. tisdiieult to believe
that the dose OF santonine was not by error larger
than was intended. This case, however, is instruc
tive in respect to the therapeutics Of santonine
poisoning, since further experiments on animals
suggested by it, showed that the most potent means
of combating the effects was by artificial respirs.
tOn that the eonvulsive attacks were best treated
by inhalation of ether and the elimination OF the
poison furtheGed by purgative and abundant
drinks
Instances o. poisoning by chlorate of potash are
very rare. In one case on record, seven drachms
were taken at once by mistake and caused the
death OF an adult Another instance has Just
been recorded in Germany, Some of this sub
stance was being given daily to some children Of
a physician as prophylactic against diphtherIa,
then epidemic, One day the children, three in
number obtained the stock Of chlorate and COM
menced playing doctor" and took altogether be-
tween three and four drachms The youngest,
aged two and half years, began quickly to vomit,
and continued so till her death seven hours later,
with symptO MS Of acute gastritis and great som.
nolence. The others recovered. In case recently
| recorded five grain doses of chlOrate, continued
| for a considerable time, csused almost constant
gastritis
A curious case Of tobacco poisoning is recorded
In France, woman, by the advice of midwife,
gave to child aged eighteen months, suffering
from oxyurldes an injection consisting of decoc.
tion of two cigars Some minutes afterward the
child begaE to Vomit and became convulsed.
Hall an hour later 1t was in state of coma, inter.
rupted now and then by conVulsive movements.
The pulse was frequent and feeble, the extremites
cold, respiration irregular, and the pupils con-
tracted. The symptoms lessened after injections
of warm water, warm baths, ard ammonia, and
the next day the child was pretty we'll The two
cigars contained about two and a half drachms of
tobacco.
The Pharmdc utiCaI Journal records a case in
which a popular soothing sirup" caused the
death Of an infant The child, five months old,
was supposed to be teething and the mother pur-
chased a bottle Of "Mrs. Winslow's soothing sir
up" administering ten drops of the nostrum
about twice day for about three days. On the
night of the third day 1t died very suddenly from
the effects Of the medicine. Tho coroner said
that the effects of "Mrs. Winslows soothing sir
up" were those Of narcotic, and that the Phar
mGceuticais Journal Of 1872 stated that two doses
had caused the death Of a child fifteen months
old, with the usual symptoms of narcotic poison,
Analysis of this sirup showed that one ounce Of 1t
contained nearly one grain Of morphine with
other opium alkalOids. ut Is not surprising" he
adds, that it should prove fatal to infants in
small Doses" However, it is safe to say that this
case will prove no warning; and that mothers
will go on just the same stupefylng their infants
with GodfIey's cordial and "patent medicines"
like the one above noted and the practice will
cease perhaps on the same day in the dim future
in which the hOusekeeper and the average SER
want girl learn that benzine and kerosene are not
proper substitutes for paper and wood in kin
ding the kitchen fre.-Scientifc American