of the University of Pennsylvania. 29 



In the "United States Dispensatory" 1 we find 

 it stated that the drug in question operates with 

 great promptitude, but sometimes excites saliva- 

 tion. 



As seen by the references above given, our cases 

 present little of novelty, excepting that the dose we 

 used was quite within therapeutic limits as ordi- 

 narily given ; but we deem it our duty to call atten- 

 tion to the danger attending the administration of 

 this drug, especially as its poisonous properties 

 seem to have been overlooked by several recent 

 writers on therapeutics. 



Prof. Bartholow, 2 it is true, states that " serious 

 results might be produced if emesis did not so 

 promptly follow," which seems to agree with the 

 experience of Dr. McPhedran, already mentioned. 

 In the cases under our own observation, however, 

 the poisonous symptoms followed, notwithstanding 

 that fairly copious emesis resulted in every case. 

 The time which elapsed between exhibition and 

 emesis (thirty-five to fifty minutes) was possibly 

 sufficient to permit the occurrence of chemical 

 changes in the drug as it lay in the stomach, and 



1 Fifteenth edition, p. 767. 



2 Therapeutics, fifth edition, p. 252. 



3* 



