86-3 
violent tonic spasms, with dilated pupils, frequent and feeble pulse. Constant 
kneading on the stomach had produced partial emesis, and then ipecac, mustard, 
and large draughts of hot water, emptied the stomach. Two drachms of magne- 
sia were then given, and a full dose of acetate of morphine; consciousness then 
returned, no unfavorable symptoms followed, and, after thirty-six hours, with- 
out additional medication she was entirely restored.* 
A married woman aged 28, accustomed to taking 5-drop doses without incon- 
venience, took from 15 to 20 drops. Shortly after, she complained of dizziness, 
agonizing pain in the head and burning in the stomach; a sense of cold numbness 
crept over her limbs, increasing until it amounted almost to paralysis; convulsions 
followed, during which she vomited twice, freely, and finally uttered a shriek and 
fell senseless to the floor. She continued in this comatose condition for over an 
hour, when, on again vomiting, she recovered consciousness.+ 
A woman took half an ounce of the oil; the most violent, rigid kind of clonic 
spasms occurred once in about twelve minutes, coming on generally and instantly, 
and continuing about one minute. They were attended with slight, if any mo- 
tion of the arms; it might be called a trembling. The arms were peculiarly af- 
fected, and invariably in the same way; they were thrown out forward of, and at 
right angles with, the body; the hands at the wrists bent at right angles, with 
the fore-arm supinated, the points of the fingers nearly in contact, the fingers 
straight and slightly bent at the metatarsophalangeal joints. The muscles of 
respiration were strongly affected during each paroxysm; air was forced from the 
chest slowly but steadily, and made a slight hissing noise as it escaped from be- 
tween the patient’s lips. During the intermission. of spasm, the muscles were 
perfectly flexible, and the transition seemed very sudden. The jaws were the 
they were, for the first hour and a quarter, rigidly 
closed, and were with difficulty opened, but after that were subjected to the same 
action as the rest of the body—when the spasms were on they were rigid ; when 
off, they were relaxed. After the patient grew weaker, the spasms were more 
frequent, but had about the same severity and length. Death ensued in two hours.} 
_ A young woman took two tablespoonfuls of the oil to procure abortion, after 
which, those who saw her related, that she suffered from symptoms much resem- 
bling apoplexy. Two weeks afterward, the vaginal walls of the labia were pyr 
inflamed to such extent that one of them resulted in an enormous abscess ; the 
sclerotic coat of the eye was also so congested that it had a dark peat re 
appearance, and was so badly swollen that the cornea seemed - be eit i 
A girl aged 21 years, took 11 drachms of the oil to produce a + Aare 
Total unconsciousness soon followed ; at intervals of 5 or 10 e - 
was convulsed by strong spasms, in which the head was srg os eyed 
tion suspended, the arms raised and kept rigidly extended, * riggt ws ; ss 
tracted, After this state of rigidity had continued for about ei eeads socal 
ae 
in the St, Louis Courter of Medicine, 
. Repu. 1870, 588. 
D., Med, and Surg, Kep» of Med, Sti, 1835, 256). 
only exception to this rule ; 
* Dr. W. W. Bailey, 
A. D. Binkerd, M. 
: CT. Hildredth, M.D., Med. Mag., 1834 (Am. J 
"4 E. M. Hale, M.D., West. Hom. Obs., 1869, 345- 
April, 1885. 
