Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-05-04

stomach, after working hard from O'Clock
that forenoon; had sat down to dinner
Immediately after taking this solution bad
eaten two potatoes, some meat, half a bis
cult and drank a cup of tea, and was then
taken with a convnlsion, and that passed
off and very soon he was taken with
another convulsion, leaving the table and
walking across the room short
distance to the lounge, and had
difficulty in getting there, and then
had administered 10 him another
dose of this soluion, about the same guam
thy, and that within an hour or hour and a
half quarter of grain of morphine was
injected hypodermcally, a spoonful of
whiskey given him, moderate dose of
bromide OF potassium; that his spasms
ceased and be became quiet and could talk
and converse; whether or not, ii bromide
was continued to be given him, you would
expect him to recover, supposing after lis
spasms ceased that he remained quiet from
half TO three quarters of an hour!
Al should expect him to.
Cross examined.
Q-How much bromide would be req lir-
ed TO control the spasms such as those in
this Hypothetical case:
Al suppose different systems would
require different amounts. l should give
$50 grains if the SPANS were bad. 1t
would range between $50 and 240 grains.
Shouldn't expect 10 grains to control the
poison. Shouldn't expec. Is grain doses
administered every h.lf-hour would have
any material effect.
The usual form os stry chime on the
market is sulphate.
Tapn;r "a o,t; 1ot
for stIychnine. The strychnine must then
b 10 the stomach unabsorbed.
Witness here explained the physiological
effect of strychniue.
Q-Does trychnine show any effect on
the system until it is absorbed?
Alt must pass into the circulation.
The first congestion takes lace about the
spinal cord.
In all cases of stry chuine isn't the men,
brane surrounding the spinal cord on post
mortem examination congested with blood?
A.-Didn't know that this was fact
from experience. Knew the spinal cord
is ; Effected at first
Q.-Isnt it fact that the brain isn't af-
fected?
Alt is so stated.
Q Doesn't the patient retain his mental
faculties?
Ayes.
Q.-Quite a difference between proper
and curative treatment?
A,-Yes. Any treatment that would
control the spasms is curative in that case.
Mr.. Heath supposed case similar to
what Getchelrs is described to be. and the
treatment given, and asked if he considered
such treatment curative.
Aft there was retained in his stomach
pant of the strychnine undis solved, he
woul ln't think what had relieved the spasms
curative. But if the strychnine were alb
sorbel, he shoul think any treatment con-
trolling the spasms would be curative.
Q Assuming two grains of it were
found in the liver aud Kidneys?
Al shouldn't consider the treatment
curative.
Mr.. Heath brought out that the NOR
phine works on the nerves of sense while
strychnine acts on tho motor nerves.
Q-Would You consider morphia an an
tilote:
A.--No. -
Q.-Wouldn't the morphia act as a tenn
porary antagonist and hold up the system
and postpone death
used for several hours.
Q.--How many hours should you want
your patient to remain free from spasms
before you considered him safe?
A-Ten hours to be perfectly safe.
The great bulk of the work of eliminat-
ing the poison is done by the kidneys.
Q.-How much time should person
have to eliminate one grain of strychnine
from the system?
A.-Couldnt tell exactly. Had no means
of knowing.
OFF half grain of strychnine should
pass into your system would one quarter
grain of morphia and few Is grain doses
of bromide of potash be sufficient?
A.-No. Every hour that the patti mt
remained free from spasms would be favor
able.
Q-The duration of the effect of any in
jec,ion of morphla would be shortened by
the pain!
A.-Yss.
OFF man had taken into his system
one bali grain of strychnine so that for
half an hour he suffered two spasms an
hour and half how loag would you ex-
,ct the one quarter grain of morphia hold
back the poisonous effects of the stychnine?
Al shouldn't expect it to hold it back
at all.
Q.-Isn't it laid down in your books that
one-half grain of strychnine is the aver
age fatal dose?
Alt may be. Don't so recall it.
Witness was here asked to explain what
cumulative poison was. He said that strych-
nine to b, cumulative must be taken in such
form that it wouldn't be Immediately alb
sorbed.
Might get poisonous results by taking a
twentieth of grain every hour for six
hours. Scientifically speaking didn't con-
slider strychnine cumulative poison.
Counsel for defence wanted to know if
doses of strychnine couldn't lap over each
other to finally produce death. 1t appeared
that perhaps such result might occur.
OFF man should take a quntity of
strychnine in gin sufficient to cause a gen
eral spasm within 20 minutes, followed by
loss of use of the lower limbs, and those
spasms shoull continue, and inside of half
an hour after taking the first dose should
take half a teacupfull vary ing more or less
strychnine in it, and a doctor had admins
tered morphine at the expiration of an hour
or may be an hour and half and - grains
of bromide of potassium, end had left the
patient h,virg only partial commissions,