Botanic Remedies 



On the heart strychnine has its action by rise of 

 blood-pressure, not by direct stimulation of the 

 heart muscle, as appears under the pharmacology. 

 Next to digitalis, strychnine is the most important 

 cardiac remedy, but it should not be used in fatty 

 myocarditis. Failure of the heart's action nearly 

 always indicates strychnine hypodermatically. This 

 urgent use may be life-saving when aggravations 

 occur in chronic cardiac disease and in bradycardia. 

 Here, along with digitalis, it slows the heart, in- 

 creasing the period of physiological rest. Congenital 

 heart disease should be treated systematically with 

 nux vomica or strychnine. 



Strychnine is a powerful and constant stimulant 

 to the respiratory center. In pneumonia it may be 

 urgently demanded when death is imminent from 

 dilatation of the right heart. Give it at frequent in- 

 tervals hypodermatically in such cases. Failure of 

 the respiration from poisoning may demand similar 

 treatment, perhaps combined with caffeine or strong 

 coffee. With expectorants, strychnine or nux vomica 

 may be given if secretion is free; but dry cough 

 contraindicates them. In the weak and shallow 

 respiration of bronchitis and other acute respiratory 

 disease, they serve a good purpose. 



As a tonic to the general nervous system nux 

 vomica and strychnine are unsurpassed if properly 

 used. If there are defined central lesions or degen- 

 erative nerve-tissue changes, these agents may fail 

 or even do harm; but hysterical, neurasthenic, diph- 

 theritic, syphilitic, and mineral-poison paralyses may 

 be, and often are, much benefited. If scleroses or 

 effusions exist, avoid these drugs; you may increase 



blood-pressure and do infinite harm. However, 



10 



