system of Slow Poisoning believed by many to have been practised in the Middle Ages as does the dhatoora.*

Dr. Giraud's observations on the Symptoms and Treatment of poisoning by the Indian species of the plant being the fullest and best in our literature, I have cited them at length.-APPENDIX C.

[For further descriptions of the Symptoms resulting from poisoning by Stramonium and for instructions on the recognition of Daturine, see Taylor's "Treatise on Poisons" p. p. 783, 86.]

The use and medicinal and toxicological effects of CANNABIS INDICA,-[vern. Churrus and Momeea (the concrete juice) Bang, Subjee, Sidhee, (the larger leaves and capsules with the stalks), Gunjah (the dried plant from which the resin has not been removed), Majoon (a confection from Bang,)],—have been so very fully described by Dr. O'Shaughnessy, in his Memoir presented to the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta in 1839, and in his Bengal Dispensatory, as well as in Dr. Taylor's Treatise on Poisons, that it is unnecessary to

* Colonel Hough mentions, in his "Proceedings in Military Law," that the natives of India have a mode of administering a substance which may be given insidiously, in small quantities, so as to cause death in a given period, and in a manner which shall not cause the appearances on the body as in the case of poison. This, he adds, it would be unwise to publish,

It is now generally believed that the poisoners of the Middle Ages were never in possession of any chemical agent, the operation of which could be suspended and then manifest itself in the system after an indefinite interval, (Taylor on Poisons, p. 38). The truth of the matter probably was that they could so accurately apportion their doses of some irritant (probably mercurial) poison as to cause their victims to be attacked with Chronic Dysentery,-then the most prevailing disease among all classes of persons, from the highest to the lowest, throughout Europe. It is very remarkable in how many instances it is left as a matter of historic doubt, whether persons of note died from the effects of Poison or of Dysentery. The cases of Geme or Zisimus, brother to Sultan Bajazet, (a supposed victim of the Borgias, anno 1494); Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, and Dudley Earl of Leicester, (Queen Elizabeth's favorite,)-may be instanced among others.

repeat them here, although they will have to be referred to in the chapter on INSANITY. It is probable that death may, not unfrequntly, result from over-doses of Gunjah, but I am not aware that any instance of the kind has been recorded.

In the foregoing chapter cases are detailed (at pp. 118, 123 and 129) in which dhatoora was given in what appears to have been the common fluid preparation of Hemp-Bang; and it would seem that the mixture is a very deadly one. It is not evident, however, that the criminals intended to do more than administer the stronger poison in an intoxicating drink much used by the Up-country people, the effects of which might, possibly, be expected to conceal those of the dhatoora.

The crime of murdering persons while intoxicated by Hemp, is one which might be expected to be of frequent occurrence among a people, the lowest and most depraved of whom are continually drugging themselves with this narcotic, I have, however, only met with one recorded instance, in which a man about seventy years old, living at Mynpoorie, was convicted of having murdered one Himmut Khan by strangling him while in a state of intoxication from the effects of bang.*

The general medico-legal circumstances attendant upon poisoning with NUX VOMICA [Strychnos Nux Vomica-Vern. Yettie Cotay; Tam. Musada ; Tel. Culaka, Cutaka also Veshamoos tibeejum ; Sans. Kuchila; Beng. Koodaka doruatta, Cing. Koochla: Dauk, Hind, Khanekul kelb, Arab.-(O'Shaughnessy)], are two well known to demand repetition. The Strychnos Nux Vomica is "a native of Coromandel, Ceylon, and the Bengal jungles;" it was noticed in the woods of the Carnatic by Fryer about the year 1671. Mr. Baker says that "The natives of Hindoostan often take the Kuchilo nut morning and evening, continuously for many months, beginning

* Nizamut Adawlut Reports, N. W. P., 20th July 1852, p. 689.

with the eighth of a grain, and gradually increasing the dose to an entire nut, or about 20 grains. [!] If taken immediately before or after meals, no unpleasant effect is produced; but, if this precaution be neglected, spasms are apt to ensue.'

""*

"The Nux Vomica (Kusta, Kupilu) is mentioned in the Shastras as prepared by being steeped for three days in conjee-water, and then mixed with mustard oil and other medicines."† Dr. Fleming believed that the drug was seldom, if ever, employed in medicine by the Hindus, on account of its dangerous properties. He adds, however, that it is sometimes used for a very pernicious purpose by the distillers, who add a quantity of it in the process of distilling arrack, to render the spirit more intoxicating.

Commonly as the Nux Vomica finds a place among the bazar drugs of Bengal, it would appear that it is by no means very frequently employed, in this country, as a means of destroying life. The Chemical Examiners' records only contain two cases in which there was any satisfactory reason for concluding, that death had resulted from the administration of this drug. One of these cases is perfectly clear and convincing.

In 1853, the magistrate of Goruckpore forwarded the contents of the stomach of one Mungoo, Mehter, together with a letter from Dr. Atchison, the Civil Surgeon, to the following effect: On the 1st June, at 9 A. M., the man drank off a bottle of common bazar spirit, which he had purchased the night before in the Goruck pore bazar. Immediately after

* Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta.

† Wise.

Dr.

In the first of these cases "A bottle containing a small quantity of the contents of a stomach" was sent from Deyrah, for chemical examination in 1853, without any information regarding the particulars of the case. Mouat found that it gave evidence of the presence of a powerful vegetable bitter, which presented nearly the characters of Strychnine, but the quantity was so extremely minute as to prevent him from ascertaining this with such undoubted certainty as is absolutely necessary in a medico-legal case.

drinking the liquid, he remarked to a by-stander "something is wrong, this shurab is intensely bitter;" soon afterwards, spasms came on, and frightful convulsions; there was perfect opisthotonos of the whole body. Intellect was entire throughout. On the abatement of the tetanic convulsions, coma succeeded, and he died in three quarters of an hour. The liquor, which caused death, cost only three pice, whence Dr. Atchison inferred that it could not have been very strong or intoxicating. Dr. Mouat found that the bottle contained about six ounces of a brownish turbid fluid, in which, with very great difficulty, he succeeded in detecting a trace of strychnine;-if, as he writes, the test for that substance is to be relied upon. After separating the organic matter present, he evaporated half the fluid to dryness, and endeavored to obtain, from this residue, crystals of strychnine. In this he failed, as the amount present must have been extremely minute. He then treated a very small portion of this residue with strong sulphuric acid, and added to it a grain, in powder, of the Ferro Cyanide of Potassium (Red Prussiate of Potash); upon mixing these well together, in a watch glass, a scarcely perceptible change of color to violet was produced. He then repeated the experiment with another portion, substituting the Bichromate for the Red Prussiate of Potash. The characteristic violet color was immediately produced; and, as it is now regarded by eminent chemists in Europe, as the most delicate and certain test of the presence of Strychnia, he was led to believe that the individual had been poisoned. Dr. Mouat further recommended an inquiry as to whether the practice of distilling alcohol with the powdered bark of the Strychnos, or with Nux Vomica itself, is known to be practised by natives in the bazar of Goruckpore. thought it difficult to suppose that it would be resorted to for other than criminal purposes, as its intense bitterness would cause its immediate detection by any one not in a state of intoxication. We have seen, however, that

He

Dr. Fleming long ago ascribed this practice of drugging Arrack to a design of somewhat less criminal character.*

OPIUM.-Vern., Afeem; Duk., Ufyoon; Arab., Sheer-ikush-kush: Pers., Apaynum; Sans., (O'Shaughnessy.)

Prevalent as the vice of Opium-eating, with all its direst consequences, is in Bengal; especially in the Eastern and Southern districts-vast numbers of infatuated wretches having accustomed themselves to consume from 6 rutties (9 grains) to a rupee's weight (180 grains) of nearly pure Opium daily; we have no grounds for believing that the drug is frequently used, in this part of the country, as a means either of suicidet or of murder. It has been seen however, that Dr. Honigberger attributes its rather frequent use, as a poison, to the people of Lahore; and I observe that, in his Report for October 1852-March 1853, the Sub-Assistant Surgeon of Delhi mentions that, out 19 cases of poisoning sent by the Police to the Dispensary during that period, 14 were instances of poisoning by Opium‡

*More than one suspicious case of death, occurring shortly after drinking bitter spirit, will be found in the Nizamut Reports ;-as the following: Certain persons invited one Ramdoolub, with whom they had a dispute, to their house, and welcomed him with wine (spirit ?), of which they all partook. The wine first brought being speedily despatched, one of them remarked that he had a bottle of better wine; and, sending for it, poured a small quantity of it into a vessel, and presented it to Ramdoolub who, on drinking it, observed that it was very bitter, and shortly after, exclaiming that he felt his body on fire, and that he had been poisoned, became senseless, and expired in a few hours. It was considered that the deceased died by excessive drinking.

†The only case of attempted suicide by Opium which has occurred within my practice, during the last seven years, was that of a respectable Hindu woman who, in a paroxysm of anger, swallowed a rupee's weight (180 grains) of good opium, hastily rubbed up in oil. I saw her early, and, as the drug had been swallowed nearly in a solid state, emetics were chiefly relied upon. She fortunately consented to take these; but, although vomiting was kept up during a great part of the day, she remained for many hours in considerable danger.

The remaining cases were 3 by Dhatocra, and 2 by Arsenic.