MOTOR PARALYSANTS AND PARASITICIDES 641 



ness, accelerated respiration, quickened pulse, convulsions, 

 stupor interrupted by spasms, and dependent on imperfect 

 oxygenation of the blood, and in nine hours death. A 

 decoction containing half a drachm, injected into the 

 rectum of a dog, produced similar symptoms, but was not 

 fatal. Two and a half drachms, applied to a wound, 

 destroyed a dog in an hour. The pupils are contracted, 

 and in fatal cases are insensible to light. A single drop 

 of nicotine destroys small dogs and rabbits in five minutes, 

 producing convulsions and general paralysis. 



Post-mortem discloses appearances of asphyxia ; and in 

 cases where the crude drug has been swallowed, and has not 

 been immediately fatal, the gastro-intestinal tract exhibits 

 evidences of irritation. 



The treatment of poisoning, when the crude drug has 

 been swallowed, consists in the use of the stomach-pump or 

 emetics. Tannin renders nicotine insoluble. Keeping the 

 patient warm, and the cautious administration of stimulants, 

 antagonise nausea, depression, and collapse ; while artificial 

 respiration, and the careful hypodermic injection of strych- 

 nine or atropine, overcome the tendency to death by 

 asphyxia. 



Tobacco is allied to several other motor depressors of 

 the Solanacese, notably to dulcamara and belladonna ; but 

 it does not produce that peculiar disturbance of the loco- 

 motor centres, and consequent irregular movements, which 

 characterise belladonna, while it increases, instead of dimin- 

 ishing, cutaneous and other secretions, and contracts instead 

 of dilating the pupil. It resembles lobelia or Indian tobacco 

 the dried flowering herb of Lobelia inflata, which is some- 

 times prescribed for the relief of spasmodic asthma in dogs 

 as well as in human patients. Tobacco is more limited 

 in its paralysant effects than hemlock or prussic acid. 



MEDICINAL USES. Tobacco is now seldom administered 

 internally. There are many much better emetics than the 

 quid of tobacco sometimes given to the dog, and numerous 

 more effectual remedies for intestinal worms. Tobacco 

 smoke enemas were formerly used to relieve the spasms of 

 colic ; but chloroform, chloral hydrate, opium, and other 

 anodynes are more effectual. A one or two per cent. 



2s 



