CASES IN WHICH CERTAIN KINDS OF FOOD COMMONLY THOUGHT HAVE SEEMED TO ACT AS VIOLENT NARCOTIC BY CHARLES THOMAS HADEN, Of Sloane Street, Surgeon to the Chelsea and Brompton Dispensaries. Ir is a prevailing idea, that the words food and poison designate matters which possess opposite qualities. The effects of food on the body certainly differ widely from those of poison, but they differ only in degree. Hence the saying, "that one man's food is another man's poison," is literally true. The existing state of the body often makes the difference between food and poison. Food occasionally acts as poison, and some of the poisons are not unfrequently made to act as food; they are at least used as medicines. The first effect of food is to stimulate the stomach, and the process of digestion would not go on unless the stomach were previously stimulated to exert those powers by which that process is effected. The primary effect of poison also is to stimulate the stomach; and although other effects speedily follow, especially in the cases of the more virulent poisons, they differ only in degree from such as result from the introduction of food into the stomach. When even the most healthy person takes food the heart is excited, so that it contracts more frequently and with greater force than it did before. This state of excitement does not remain long in a healthy person; but it is very different where the body is affected with disease; not only is the excitement greater in such persons, but it remains for a longer time. Hence it would be easy to point out how a proper regulation of the diet forms so essential a part of the treatment of disease. It might be shown too, how it is often impossible to cure disease when food is taken in sufficient quantity to stimulate the heart beyond a certain point-how medicine will not nullify the deleterious agency of food in these cases-how evacuant remedies may depress the power of the heart, and only thus render it more susceptible of being excited-how, therefore, this exciting power of food often becomes so uncontrollable in what are called irritable habits, that the treatment of many chronic disorders is very unsatisfactory, and their cure uncertain. How true it is also, that the first action of medicines on the stomach does not differ from that of food or poison; that this fact deserves to be attentively considered, because, if physicians were to give medicine merely as a substitute for food, they would employ it differently, and perhaps more efficaciously, than they do at present; that the natural mode of curing disease is to regulate the diet, and the play of the bodily functions, so that the action which constitutes the disease shall subside; that although medicines and other collateral remedies are often necessary, they only become so because they perform quickly what abstinence, &c. would be so long in accomplishing, that life would often be lost on account of the delay; and, therefore, lastly, that medicines are only substitutes for more legitimate plans of cure. These are all important subjects for consideration, and they may perhaps be discussed in a future paper, especially as such a discussion would probably prove, that food, and medicine, and poisons ought to be considered in one and the same class; that they all act at first in the same way; and that' the effects of each of them are often produced by all of them in turn under certain circumstances, although they materially differ with respect to the rapidity with which these ultimate effects are produced. At present, the direct parallel between" poisons and food, when taken under certain circumstances, is the point to be illustrated: It is said, that food excites the heart even in the most healthy subjects. Poisons do the same. The action of poisons, however, is not limited to the production of excitement of the heart. Some poisons, it is well known, soon overwhelm the bodily powers by an action which is apparently different from stimulation. Medical men have not been able to distinguish in what the difference consists; and indeed they have not proved, that stimulation is not the first part of the process. Even where narcotic poisons are taken, whatever the immediate action of these agents may be, they soon depress the powers of the body. They particularly interfere with what we are taught to consider as the function of the brain; the senses are lost, the power of volition no longer exists, stupor comes on, convulsions supervene, and life is destroyed. An exactly similar train of symptoms sometimes follows the taking of food when the body is in a particular state; and it is the chief object of this paper to show, that food literally becomes poison under certain circumstances. The train of symptoms which follows cases of poisoning by means of opium is familiar to all; the headache-the oppressed brain-the abolition of sense-the dilated pupil-the stupor-the hot skin, especially in the head and chest-and the increased arterial action. Convulsions do not often occur in these cases. Indeed, a slight variety of symptoms is to be observed where the poisoning is induced by different substances. Their general character, however, is similar, and it bears on the whole a great resemblance to that of an epileptic paroxysm. This statement is only modified by the occasional occurrence of cases wherein the action of the heart is depressed from the beginning; and where, instead of a hot skin and full pulse being joined to the symptoms of oppressed brain, the pulse is feeble, and the skin is cold, and covered by a clammy perspiration. The explanation of this latter variety of character is to be found in the supposition, that whilst poisons generally act by, producing what is equivalent to the open forms of fevers, they sometimes induce, like all other causes of fever, that form of febrile diseases which Dr. Armstrong has called congestive. The following cases of poisoning by the berries of belladonna are here related to show, that although the induced symptoms nearly resemble those which characterize cases of poisoning by opium, they still have a character of their own. Cases of Poisoning by the Berries of Belladonna. In the summer of 1818, two girls, sisters, ate a considerable number of the ripe berries of belladonna. These girls were seen a few hours afterwards in a state nearly similar to that which follows the taking of opium. Stupor, however, was not present; but in place of it a state which accurately resembles that of fatuity. The pupils of the eyes were greatly dilated, and the patients had all the appearance and actions of idiots. The hot skin and full pulse demanded sanguineous deple tion, and a considerable quantity of blood was taken from the arm of each patient. If the case had occurred after the publication of Mr. Wray's Cases of Poisoning by means of Opium, the cold affusion would have been used. As it was, an emetic and purgatives were given to each of the children, and both had recovered their health a few days afterwards *. * The following particulars of these cases are from the original notes, made whilst the patients were under treatment. Cases of Poisoning by Belladonna. Aug. 23, 1818. Two girls of eight and ten years of age ate several berries of the atropa belladonna at about half past five o'clock in the evening. At seven they ate bread and milk for supper, and went to bed: the younger ate as well as usual; the elder less. At eleven they were found delirious. At seven in the morning I saw them: they were both very hot, with a flushed skin, and full bounding pulse. The younger had taken 3fs of antim, tart. and the elder not so much, because it was impossible to get it down. Both were delirious, talking irrationally, and both were occa A few cases will now be related wherein various kinds of food, but especially those which are generally considered to be sionally convulsed, at which time they complained that persons or animals were hurting them. The delirium was, however, at other times, tolerably quiet, and put on the appearance more of something half way between delirium and fatuity than of pure delirium ; for they gave rational answers when spoken to. Their countenance was that of fatuity; it was vacant and anxious. Even whilst the convulsions were not present, there were constant motions with the hands, either picking the air or moving the fingers one after the other. Upon the whole, the delirium was of the pleasant and tranquil description, rather than the reverse. The pupils were much dilated, but not to the utmost bounds. Neither of them had vomited. On account of the evident increased vascular action, they were both bled; the younger to 3viij, and the elder to 3x, or more. They both became more tranquil, and the elder was faint, but the heat of skin was not materially diminished. The younger after this immediately vomited up a considerable quantity of the husks of the berries, totally devoid of colour, although they were taken quite ripe. Portions of the supper also came up. More tartarized antimony was given, and the younger vomited again, and then ten grains of calomel were given, and a large glyster of soap and water thrown up. The elder did not vomit, and, therefore, more emetic tartar was given in the form of powder, as she would not take it in liquid. It should be remarked, that the blood flew out with much violence when the vein was opened. Half past nine. Both the children were much quieter, and indeed apparently in a worse state, both equally delirious, but paler and without heat: inclined to be torpid, and with the belly costive. Ten grains more calomel were ordered for each, and the glyster, which had not been given, to be administered immediately,, To follow this up by Epsom salts and senna every hour, until the bowels were perfectly opened. To give also weak vinegar and water very frequently. Twelve o'clock. Both the children in a deep sleep, with pale countenances and sunken eyes, but still with some degree of heat on the surface. Each had had stools, and had vomited much, On rousing them, however, they were evidently better; pupils not |