410 VEGETABLE DRUGS 



pupils and a constant lapping witli the tongue. In man, an 

 amount of cocaine exceeding gr.| should not be employed 

 under the skin, or upon mucous membranes, and death has 

 occurred in susceptible patients from even smaller doses. 

 The most powerful action follows the use of cocaine in very- 

 vascular parts, as about the face. One-half a grain of cocaine 

 given subcutaneously to a girl eleven years old, was followed 

 by a fatal result in- 40 seconds, and the writer has seen 

 violent convulsions produced by the instillation of a few 

 drops of a 2 per cent, solution into the eye of a man. On 

 the other hand, spontaneous recovery has obtained in the 

 human subject after the ingestion of 22 grs. of the alkaloid.. 

 In the horse, a toxic dose of cocaine ( 3 i-) causes restless- 

 ness and excitement, dilated pupils and salivation, culminat- 

 ing within an hour in a state of acute mania and intense 

 excitement. These symptoms are followed by gradual 

 recovery after the lapse of a few hours. Three grains of 

 cocaine given under the skin, will sometimes induce nervous 

 excitement in susceptible horses. The treatment of danger- 

 ous forms of cocaine poisoning, with respiratory and heart 

 failure, consists in the use of rapidly acting stimulants, — as 

 nitroglycerin upon the tongue, and strychnine, atropine 

 and brandy subcutaneously. 



Uses External. — Cocaine and its synthetic chemical sub- 

 stitutes are the most valuable agents we possess to cause 

 complete local anaesthesia for surgical purposes. The 

 operations most suitable for the hypodermatic application 

 of cocaine are included in the following : — 



Removal of tumors. Injuries and operations upon the 



Docking and pricking the tail. eyeball and eyelids. 



Tarsal tenotomy. Operations about the feet in 



Firing. horses. 



Plantar neurectomy. Operations upon mucous mem- 

 Opening of abscess. branes. 



The alkaloid may also be employed to dilate the pupil 

 for examination of the eye, and to detect lameness. In a 

 case of doubtful foot lameness in the horse, injection of 



