STRYCHNINE SULPHATE 385 



Horses, — ^The toxic symptoms in horses resemble those 

 already described in the dog. They do not appear for some 

 time (20 minutes to 6 hours), depending on the rapidity of 

 absorption when the drug is swallowed, and include excite- 

 ment, muscular spasm and convulsions, increased frequency 

 of the pulse, and difficult respiration. Death occurs in con- 

 vulsions or in the interim between them. The minimum 

 fatal dose of strychnine, when given under the skin, is about 

 IJ to 3 grains, and when swallowed, 3 to 5 grains of the 

 alkaloid, or 1 to 2 ounces of nux vomica. 



Cattle are similarly affected with horses and dogs. 

 There are exhibited muscular spasms, frequent pulse, diffi- 

 cult respiration, sensitiveness to light, sounds and external 

 stimuli, protrusion of the eye-balls and convulsions. The 

 fatal dose, by the month, varies greatly owing -to difficulty 

 of absorption in the complicated and capacious digestive 

 apparatus of these ruminants. This is true of all medicines. 

 When given under the skin, the lethal dose is a little larger 

 than that for horses. The fatal dose for swine is said to be 

 from gr.|^-gr.|. Chickens are comparatively insusceptible; 

 also guinea pigs and some monkeys. 



Strychnine poisoning differs from tetanus .in the fact 

 that muscular rigidity is continuous in the latter, but disap- 

 pears to a considerable degree, if not completely, in the 

 periods between the convulsions, in the case of strychnine 

 poisoning. Moreover, in tetanus the body and limbs are 

 less, and the jaw more affected ; while in strychnine poison- 

 ing the condition is reversed. 



Treatment. — The treatment embraces the use of chemical 

 antidotes, as iodine or its salts, or tannic acid ; animal char- 

 coal and emetics or the stomach tube, before absorption has 

 occurred. The best physiological antidote is chloral in 

 large doses per rectum. Chloroform and nitrite of amyl 

 may also be given by inhalation, and quiet and rest enforced. 

 Artificial respiration is of no service on account of the mus- 

 cular spasms, unless air be forcibly driven into the trachea 

 through a canula. Calabar bean and gelsemium both 



