510 NUX-VOMICA AND STRYCHNINE 



In canine practice, strychnine is a valuable tonic in atonic 

 indigestion, in some cases of asthma and chronic bronchitis, 

 in convalescence from exhausting disease, in chorea, and in 

 paralysis resulting from distemper or other causes, but it 

 should be very carefully prescribed. It is frequently 

 conjoined or alternated with iron salts, or prescribed in the 

 form of Easton's Syrup, or syrup of phosphate of iron, with 

 quinine and strychnine : one drachm of which contains 

 1 gr. ferrous phosphate, f gr. of quinine sulphate, and % gr. 

 of strychnine. 



Strychnine is used for the destruction of rats, mice, and 

 other vermin, and for the poisoning of wolves and other wild 

 animals. It constitutes the active ingredient of various 

 ' infallible ' insect and vermin destroyers, which are usually 

 made up with starch, sugar, and about ten per cent, of 

 strychnine. 



DOSES, etc. Of the powdered nux-vomiea, horses take 

 grs. xxx. to grs. cxx. ; cattle, grs. Ix. to grs. ccc. ; sheep, grs. x. 

 to grs. xl. ; pigs, grs. x. to grs. xxx. ; dogs, gr. ss. to grs. ij. 

 The powder has the disadvantage of not being very soluble. 

 The extract, containing 5 per cent, of strychnine, is six to 

 eight times as active as the powder. The B.P. standardised 

 tincture is sometimes used. It contains J gr. strychnine in 

 110 minims. 



Strychnine is greatly more uniform and more readily 

 absorbed than the crude drug, and is fifty times more power- 

 ful. The hydrochloride, on account of its solubility, in 35 

 of water or 60 of alcohol, is preferable to the alkaloid. The 

 dose for the horse, except in special cases when much 

 more may be given is gr. T ^ to grs. ij| ; for cattle, 

 gr. -fa to grs. v. ; for sheep, gr. ^ to gr. T ^ ; for dogs, 

 gr. T ^j to gr. g 1 ^. The B.P. Liquor Strychnin 3e hydro- 

 chloridi contains one grain of strychnine hydrochloride in 

 110 minims. 



Strychnine, although conveniently given by the mouth, is 

 more prompt and active when administered hypodermically, 

 and when thus used the minimum doses, dissolved in about 

 100 parts of a mixture of distilled water and alcohol, should 

 first be tried. Nux-vomica and strychnine are generally 

 given twice a day, and as anti-paralysants the doses 



