POISONS ACTING ON THE SPINAL 

 COED 



GONVULSIVES 



Symptoms. — Clonic (intermittent) spasms, extending from 

 above downwards; opisthotonos very violent; but trismus 

 (lockjaw) rare; swallowing spasmodic; death, usually, in less 

 than three hours, or rapid recovery. 



STRYCHNOS NUX-VOMICA {Southern India, 

 Java, etc.). 18. 



NUX-VOMICA TREE — POISON-NUT — CROW-FIG KACHITA. 



Loganiacece. — A moderate-sized tree. — Trunk short; thick. 

 — Bark smooth. — Leaves opposite; without stipules; shortly 

 stalked; oval-rotundate. — Flowers in tricotomous cymes at 

 ends of branches; greenish white. — Fruit a smooth, shining, 

 globular berry ; 2 ins. ; rind tough ; orange ; filled with soft pulp 

 in which seeds are irregularly immersed. — Seeds 1-5; circular; 

 flat; hollowed; 1 in. by J in. thick; covered with silky hairs. 



Toxic Principles.— STRYOlSNmE, BRUCINE. 



And there was strychnine in the cup ; 

 And he did take and drink it up. , , ,, 



A. E. Housman: " The Shropshire Lad. 



STRYCHNOS TOXIFERA (Guiana). 19. 



CURARE — CURARI — URARI — WOURALI — ARROW-POISON. 



Loganiacece.— ^tem climbing, densely covered with long, 

 spreading, ferruginous, harsh hairs; attaching to other plants 

 by means of the gyrate ends of its young shoots. Leaves 



11 



