June, 1840, twelve persons suffering from skin diseases, swallowed each two ounces, six and a half drachms of the juice of monkshood, in mistake for that of scurvy-grass. An old man, aged sixty, was the first victim. His respiration became impeded, vomiting came on, and he died in a few hours. Two women were soon attacked with convulsions, prostration of strength, and paralysis; they both died in two hours. The other nine were all violently affected, but recovered by remedies. They suffered great prostration of strength of body and mind; pale and altered countenance. The pupils of the eye were greatly dilated; vertigo, headache, vomiting, pulse slow and feeble. The post-mortem of the three fatal cases showed effusion at the base of the brain, venous congestion, &c.

In the case related by Mr. Sherwin, in THE LANCET, the tincture produced fixing and protruding of the eyes, with contracted pupils, livid and rigid countenance, hands cold and pulseless, impeded breathing, &c. She recovered.

One drachm of Fleming's tincture has proved fatal. Twenty-five minims, in another case, caused paralysis in one hour; and death some time after. In another, fifteen minims caused much distress, loss of power, insensibility, &c., but the patient recovered.

on man.

Many other cases are on record of poisoning by Aconite, and they terminate with the recent tragedy at Dingwall, where three out of five persons died from eating the root in mistake for horseradish. The symptoms are not well related; but burning of the mouth and throat were much complained of, and great suffering generally. The effect of Aconite on animals is in all respects similiar to that Orfila, Brodie, Pereira, Bonet, Haller, and others, relate their experiments, showing a train of symptoms similar to those observed in my own experiments, where, in death produced by the various preparations of Aconite, and introduced into the system in difierent ways, the symptoms were agitation and distress, backward movements, paralysis, and loss of sensation, commencing generally in the hind legs, impeded breathing, foaming at the mouth (in cats and dogs), stupor, coma, convulsions, and death.

The following table will shew at a glance the rapid action of the poison, and the difference in the strength of some of the extracts. The fresh juice of the root acted with the greatest rapidity.

Table of Poisoning by the different Preparations of Aconite.

ness, &c. .

In 18 of these cases, the pupils were noted:-in 5 contracted; in 8, much dilated. In some of the contracted cases, the pupils immediately dilated on death; and the dilatation was always more marked than the contraction.

The chief post-mortem appearances were in these cases, great engorgement of the right side of the heart, while the left side was empty. All the venous trunks were full of blood, and the appearances of asphyxia in general were present.

The experiments of Dr. Wallich with the A. Ferox, the Visha, Ativisha, Vish, Bikh, or Bichma, of the Indians, give symptoms similar to the above, but even in greater intensity and rapidity. He found the spirituous extract the most powerful; it produced difficult breathing, paralysis, vertigo, convulsions, dilatation of the pupils, and death. One grain of spirituous extract killed a rabbit in nine minutes and a half; two grains killed a strong dog in three minutes, &c. The post-mortem appearances were as above.

It will be observed that the symptoms of poisoning by Aconite are very characteristic, and that in all its preparations it is a most deadly poison. The only variety in its action appears to be on the pupil. The observation of Briand (medico-legal) is quite borne out, "Les pupilles sont tantôt dilatées, tantôt contractées, tantôt dans l'état naturel." In Sherwin's case, the pupils were contracted, as also in M. Pereyra's case. In the child aged thirteen months the pupils were dilated, and in Bolardini's cases the pupils were greatly dilated. Dr. Wallich distinctly states that Aconite causes dilatation of the pupil. Dr. Headland, in his recent paper, inclines to the dilatation, and my own observations lead to the same conclusion. In the case recently reported in THE LANCET by Mr. Bone, where the paymaster of the regiment was poisoned by the tincture, there was dilatation of the pupils.

Mr. Dansent, in a letter to the Editor of THE LANCET, in 1837, states that several preparations of Aconite had considerable influence in causing dilatation of the pupils, in some cases reported by Dr. Turnbull, and were useful in functional amaurosis. Dr. Turnbull, however, thought this property depended upon the acridity of the preparation used; for when deprived entirely of this principle, he says it dilates the pupils. Geiger and Hesse state that when the active principle (aconitina) is "portée sur l'œil, elle produit une dilatation de la pupille." The acridity referred to by Dr. Turnbull is probably caused by the Aconite acid also found in the A. Napellus.

In the Pharmacopoeias of 1782 and 1788, formulas are first found for some of the preparations of Aconite. Aconitina, the active principle, was first detected by Peschier of Geneva, and afterwards by Brandes; then in 1825 by Pallas, and by Geiger in 1832. These VOL. XIV, NO. LVIII-OCTOBER, 1856. 2 X

authors remark the exteme virulence of this substance; one-tenth of a grain killed a bird "avec la rapidité de l'éclair."

The ancients were well aware of the use of stimulants in the treatment of poisoning by Aconite: rue, horehound, opobalsam, chamapitys, castor, pepper, garlic wine, ammonia, &c., all are mentioned. One species, the A. Anthora, is said to be an antidote to the A. Napellus.

In later days, the same principle of treatment has been carried out, and after emetics, stimulants-even carried to excess-mustard to the epigastrium, and frictions, have been found the most useful.

The medicinal properties of Aconite were early understood and used. Pliny and Dioscorides mention it as anodyne for the eyes. Galen and Tragus assign a corrosive property to it. Melchion Friccius, of Ulm, used it in tertian and quartan fevers. Bacler, of Utrecht, as a blister.

In 1762, Baron Stoerck introduced it as a remedy, and found it useful in scirrhus, pain of the joints, ulcers, intermittent and quartan ague, in gonorrhoea, in tic, rheumatism, &c. He gives many illustrative cases.

In Germany and Sweden, it has also been extensively used in rheumatism by Rosenstein, Blom, Odhelius, Ribe and others. Foderé recommended it in the case of Charles IV. of Spain, in rheumatic gout. Sigmond and Walkins (THE LANCET, 1836-39) gave the extract in quarter-grain doses in deep-seated rheumatic affections. Dr. Gebel (Med. and Phys. Jour.) gave two grains, night and morning, in rheumatic cardialgia. Dr. Chandru (London Med. and Surg. Jour.) gave two grains of the extract, increased to twelve grains in articular rheumatism. Nysten (Dict. des Sc. Méd.) gave thirty-two grains of Stoerck's extract with great advantage in rheumatism and gout. Schultze, Vogel, Lombard of Geneva, Craigie of Edinburgh, all speak highly of its use in this complaint.

Skey gives illustrative cases of its use in tic, (THE LANCET, 183637.) M. Ribe and M. Delens also testify to its power in relieving facial neuralgia. Mr. Radley, (THE LANCET, 1836,) Dr. Burgess, (Lond. Med. Gazette,) gave it with great benefit in nervous headaches. Brera mixed Aconite with hemlock and calomel in angina pectoris. In glandular obstructions, Bergius gave five grains of the extract every two hours; and Dr. Collins, of Vienna, has given half a drachm in the course of the day in similar cases. Aconite has also been given in syphilitic pains, by Borda; in phthisis, by Busch and Portal;

in pneumonia, and diseases of the heart, by Lombard; also in acute enteritis, from its supposed sedative action; as a diuretic, by Fouquier; in many skin diseases, by MM. Biett, Brera, and Professor Tommasini; in herpes, both internally and externally; in lepra, by Avicenna; in inveterate psoriasis, by Dr. A. T. Thomson; in erysipelas, (THE LANCET, 1836;) by Klitton, of Wittemberg, with calomel, in some of the sequelae of scarlatina; in amenorrhoea, by Dr. West, of Strasburg; in various diseases of the eye, as opacities of the cornea, cataracts, &c., by Dr. Turnbull; by the native practitioners of Bengal, as a last resource in cholera.

It is probable the use of Aconite will not extend beyond its employment in rheumatism and nervous pain, over which, when taken internally or applied externally, it exerts a most powerful and beneficial effect, as the cases on record, as well as my own experience, fully warrant me in speaking in the most positive terms.

The tincture of the root, or the active principle, aconitina, mixed with lard, appears best suited for external application, and as such have been used with decided advantage.

The internal use of Aconite as a medicine has not become general, owing, probably, to the uncertain action of its various preparations, which depends not only upon the part of the plant used—the age and mode of preparation of the extracts and tinctures-but, above all, upon the varying per-centage of the active principle, aconitina, yielded by different plants, some specimens giving three times the quantity others do. Aconite cannot, therefore, be extensively used till we have some certain and uniform preparation.

On the Pulse of Infants.

By MM. SEUX and ROGER.

M. Seux, Physician to the Charité at Marseilles, has recently made a series of examinations of the pulse in forty infants, from the period of directly after birth to two months, and compared the results with those derived from the examination of thirty-five others made by a colleague. He tabulated these combined results, and draws the following conclusions:-1. The pulse of infants may vary when in a state of health and quietude, from 80 to 164; but in more than half the examples it ranged from 120 to 140; then came from 140 to 160, 100 to 120, then above 160, and lastly below 100.