Continue quinine and wine; brandy 3 iv. November 10th.-No improvement. Discontinue quinine: continue wine and brandy. November 12th.-Died comatose.

Rhus Venenata,* by Mr. H. THOMAS.

SWAMP, or poisonous sumach, in the homoeopathic materia medica, known as Rhus vernix, is a native of Nepaul and Japan, and not of North America. Rhus Venenata inhabits the three countries. "Leaf 6, 7, pair of leaflets almost glabrous, entire, lanceolate, accuminate, reticulated beneath; fruit white." I have in my possession some dried leaves gathered from different parts of the same plant: the shape of the leaves differs exceedingly. The odour from them now they are dry is very similar to that of black tea. This is the most poisonous of the Rhus family. Some Americans are so susceptible to its influence, if they but pass by the plant whilst it is betwixt them and the breeze, they suffer from the effects for weeks after. Touching the plant will often produce either a typhoid state, or a vesicular eruption, accompanied with fever. The following proving was made in 1854 (August or September), by an American friend-one of the provers of apis melifica :

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Having understood by a friend that Rhus Vernix had been used with success for the destruction of corns, I immediately procured a small quantity of the mother tincture, and applied it four distinct times. I made use of it by putting my fingers to the opening of the phial, and rubbing them on the corn; consequently, the application was as thorough to my fingers and hand as to the corn and adjacent parts. Drawing on my sock after the application, the tincture was brought in contact with my foot and ancle: both feet were equally affected (probably produced by changing socks). The symptoms occurred as follows::

1st. Intolerable itching and burning in the left foot; itching increasing in intensity as the usual means were applied for its relief. 2nd. Watery vesicles (left foot), not papillary, but merely a rising of

* This plant received the name Vernix from Linnæus, who considered it identical with the Japan R. Vernix, from which it differs essentially. To avoid confusion (having in remembrance the unsettled question of Rhus tox. and R. radicans), it would be as well to always give it the distinctive title of Venenata, which is claimed for it alone.

the cuticle. In some places the vesicles were confluent. 3rd. (left foot), skin became congested, thick and stiff, attended with a severe sensation of weight and burning. At this time the itching became so intolerable, that I often applied physical force to the parts affected, hammering them with my knife handle, or striking my foot against the sharp corners of the bedstead rail. This rendered the itching more intense, so that I was obliged to desist from any effort to obtain relief. Exercise increased the itching. Partial oedema of the left foot; also itching and burning, of the same character (as experienced in the foot) in other parts, scrotum, forehead, eyelids, fore part of the neck, and on the right foot, attended with a slightly puffed appearance of all these parts. On the fourth day of my illness, appeared vesicles on the right foot, and formication occasionally in the swollen parts, prickings as from excessive summer heat; vesicles with itching and burning on the bend of the left elbow; sensation of intense fulness, itching, and burning in the right foot. On the morning of the fifth day, vesicles began to break, and scabs formed; oedema of the legs, pit remaining after pressure. On the sixth day, vesicles on the fingers, and back of the right hand. As the vesicles broke, and desquamation commenced, acute inflammation of the surface (feet, hands, &c.), of a dark red colour, supervened, with intense prickling heat, as though a hot iron plate was held in close proximity to the swollen parts; flashes of heat, as though a stream of hot air was passing over the body, with throbbing and tearing pains, extending from each temple, back to the occiput, and down the neck to each shoulder; suppuration of the whole of the superior surface of the left foot, and occasional patches of the size of a half dime" (4d., English), "to a dime;" (6d.) " extending half way to the knee; suppuration, in patches, of the right foot and fingers of the right hand; deep, corroding, phagedenic ulcers, burning prickling, and oedema continuing. The ulcers discharge a thin straw-coloured, acrid, and very fœtid pus. The odour was precisely similar to that experienced in the dissecting room. By this time I was emaciated somewhat, and peevish and fretful in the extreme.

"Treatment.-I tried numerous remedies internally, but with no benefit whatever. The application of bruised plantago leaves (plantago majus), reduced the swelling, but did not control the burning and prickling, which I relieved by dilution of Phosphorus, in water. A sufficient quantity of tincture of Phosphorus added, to give the water a milky appearance, applying this dilution externally, by means of linen cloths.

and continued to improve until the abscess broke, which was about five days after his taking the Rhus Venenata. The pus was very grumous looking, and of a very fœtid odour. Two quarts discharged the first day. From the opening of the abscess to its healing, at least three gallons of pus was lost. After he had used the Rhus Ven. for a week, he complained very much of an intense itching along the spine, from cervical to sacral regions; also in the thighs. The itching was instantly cured on his taking a powder containing two globules of Ledum 12, in sugar of milk. The itching occasionally returned, but he was always able to subdue it by having recourse to the Ledum powders, which he kept by him. He is now quite well, and has recovered the use of his limb, managing to walk very quickly, and as well as ever. He considers the injured limb to be quite as strong as the other.

W. C., aged 16, had been under homœopathic treatment for two years, and had derived much benefit, but was not improving so rapidly as was desirous. He had ulceration of the cervical glands, which discharged a very offensive pus of a dark colour. The areolæ around the ulcers was of a dark red colour. He was entirely and speedily cured by Rhus Venenata, and has had no return of the ulceration. His general health is much better than it ever has been. J. P., æt. 48, complains of lassitude, legs ache. He has a blister on index finger of right hand. It began as a black spot, but has spread very much, and is very dark looking. Pain in it was very intense; burning, aching. On opening it with a lancet, the pus that came out was of a blackish colour, and the edges of the ulcer were very ragged. There is swelling of the glands in axillæ, and near the elbow, with inflammation of these glands.

Rhus Ven., 3 and 12 dilution, entirely cured in one week. Ledum palustre antidotes the Rhus Venenata; and had it been tried in the early stages of the first proving here recorded, it is more than probable we should not have had it.

Case of Suicidal Poisoning by Nux vomica.

About

Elizabeth Sims, aged 16, had only been a few days in her situation, and was observed to be low spirited and her appetite bad. half-past ten in the morning of the 25th of January 1856, she left her mistress's house, and about noon on the same day she reached her grandmother's abode, in a street near Southwark Bridge-road, a distance of about two miles; she was then in a state of great mental excitement; she is described by an aunt, who was present at the time, "as rushing into the room, exclaiming that her mother had been murdered, seating herself suddenly on a chair, and being seized with a frightful fit. Mr. Sleeman was sent for, and he describes her condition; two fits passed away before his arrival, and during the intervals she was perfectly sensible.

Symptoms described by Mr. Sleeman.

Half-past 12. On his

arrival, he found the patient lying down, dressed, under the influence of violent tetanic spasms. Her head was drawn backwards, the arms extended; the fingers flexed to the palms, the jaws firmly contracted, the countenance somewhat livid, the eyes open, fixed, and somewhat protruding; the trunk stiff, the legs extended, the feet turned outwards, and the toes flexed to the plantar surface, the skin dry and warm; the respiration loud, almost amounting to stertor; no alvine evacuations took place during the paroxysms or intermissions; the pulse during the paroxysms could not be counted; this paroxysm lasted about two minutes; an interval of perfect sensibility ensued, during which she admitted that she had taken the poison, and expressed her sorrow for having done so, and said that during the fits she suffered much pain.

A full dose of Sulphate of copper was administered as an emetic, but did not produce vomiting. Mr. Sleeman was now about to use the stomach pump, but a fresh paroxysm prevented it. During the interval between the paroxysms, all the limbs were perfectly relaxed, the body pliant-and she was much exhausted; and, occasionally, after a paroxysm of more than usual severity, there was a slight tendency to coma. The countenance pallid, eyes natural; respiration natural; pulse about 80, moderately full, skin warm and dry. The paroxysms lasted about two minutes, the intermissions about five minutes when first seen; the paroxysms generally increased in severity, the intermissions became shorter, but when complete, consciousness remained perfect, even to the intermission before the last paroxysm, which terminated the severe sufferings of the poor girl, which took place at a few minutes before two; during the last halfhour the slightest movement caused a paroxysm, sometimes even an attempt to speak or drink would cause one; she begged to be left alone because of the pain she suffered, as she herself expressed it "when in a fit."

The treatment consisted in an endeavour to produce an evacuation of the contents of the stomach by one of the quickest emetics (cupri sulphas). The use of the stomach pump was altogether impossible, owing to the severity and frequency of the tetanic paroxysms. Tannin was given with a view to form an insoluble substance with the strychnia. Cold affusion was freely tried. By this time any attempt to give relief brought on tetanic spasms.

The post mortem examination very carefully conducted, presents no feature of any interest.-Med. Times and Gaz., Feb. 9th, 1856.

A Commination, or Denouncing of Wakley's anger and judgments against homeopathic sinners.

What a pity Wakley is not Pope of Rome-he exhibits such a talent for cursing his enemies. His denunciations against us poor heretics, which are merely ludicrous coming from the dingy Lancet office in the Strand, smelling of tobacco and small beer, would appear quite grand and imposing if fulminated from the Vatican, and redolent of frankincense and myrrh.

"The intensity of symptoms continued about three weeks, but it was three months before I was entirely free from all the symptoms." This account was furnished me by the prover, from notes. It may be well to add, that he is a very quiet gentleman, aged about 30, married, of a bilious-phlegmatic temperament. During his illness his life was in great danger, as may be inferred from the symptoms. After partial recovery I saw him, when he shewed me the remains of some of the ulcers on the shin and fingers. The cellular tissue had suffered very much. It is worthy of notice, that the results in his case were first on the left, then right leg; right, then left hand; the skin, and cellular tissue of the extremities suffering more than the body and internal organs, with the exception of the head (internally) which was much affected.

I regret that he has not furnished an account of the excretions of the body during his ailment. The following extracts from letters received from Mr. Hall, the homoeopathic chemist at Cleveland, may be serviceable, notwithstanding the doubt as to which of the Rhus the symptoms may be referred to.

"Last week I collected, in company with Professor Brainard, a large lot of the Rhus Venenata, also of the Rhus tox. The principal effect on both of us was on the brain; pressive stupor on the vertex, continuing, more or less, for several days. B. had several cutaneous symptoms, but one altogether new to me-the veins of the scrotum became gradually distended to such a degree as to rupture in various places, and bleed; but little pain attended, the whole action being superficial. However, no symptom is of value, as we were exposed equally to the influence of the Rhus Ven. and Rhus tox. on the same day."

"December 4th, 1855.

"This last week, having what seemed a rheumatic attack in vertex, attended with a peculiarly dull, congestive sensation, and a reverberation of external sounds, I was strongly reminded of the persistent sensations experienced last summer after being engaged collecting Rhus tox. and Rhus Ven. A dose or two of Rhus tox. speedily removed the difficulty."

The swelling of the scrotum is common to Rhus tox. and Venenata. Rhus Venenata has frequently cured corns when applied externally, and is, I believe, more frequently successful than any other remedy. It is, however, not always advisable to use the mother tincture for