152 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



A poisoned person should be kept absolutely quiet, and 

 strong coffee should be given as a stimulant. 



263. Belladonna. Belladonna, or its active principle, 

 atropine, is used to enlarge the pupil in examinations of 

 the eye. In overdoses it produces redness of the face, 

 dryness of the throat, enlargement of the pupil of the eye, 

 delirium, and great weakness. The enlarged pupil is its 

 distinguishing sign. Its treatment consists in giving an 

 emetic, stimulating by coffee, and giving tannin or strong 

 bark tea. 



264. Mushroom poisoning. Poisonous mushrooms pro- 

 duce violent cramps in the abdomen, with vomiting and 

 great weakness. One form produces symptoms within an 

 hour or two, and is seldom fatal, for the poison is thrown 

 off. The other, and by far the more dangerous, form of 

 poisoning does not come on for ten or twelve hours, or 

 until the poison has entered the intestine. In poisoning 

 by mushrooms, vomiting should be induced, and castor oil 

 given to remove the poison from the intestine. Strong 

 coffee should be given as a stimulant. 



265. Decayed food. All forms of decayed food, espe- 

 cially fish, eels, and crabs, may produce vomiting, cramps, 

 and weakness, like mushroom poisoning. The symptoms 

 usually come on within six hours after eating, and are seldom 

 fatal. The treatment is to empty the stomach and intestine. 



266. Alkaloids. The active principles of many vege- 

 table drugs can be separated from the crude drugs. They 

 are called alkaloids. Nicotine, morphine, strychnine, atro- 

 pine, and quinine are alkaloids. Over one hundred in all 

 are known. A single grain of almost any alkaloid except 

 quinine can produce violent poisoning. 



267. Leucomaines. As a result of the imperfect oxida- 

 tion of albumin within the body, compounds resembling 



