SOLANACEAE JIMSON WEED 731 



the third, who ate but few of the seeds, was but little affected. Children are also poi.sorted by 

 sucking the flower, or playing with it in the mouth. The fresh green leaves and also the root 

 have occasionally been cooked by mistake for other wild edible plants. One or two instances 

 are recorded in which cattle have been poisoned by eating the leaves of young plants which 

 were present in grass hay, but these animals generally either avoid the plants or are very 

 resistant to its poison. 



The symptoms of the poisoning are about the same in all cases, those characteristic of large 

 doses being headache, vertigo, nausea, extreme thirst, dry, burning skin, and general nervous 

 confusion, with dilated pupils, loss of sight and of voluntary motion, and sometimes mania, 

 convulsions, and death. In smaller amounts the effects are like those of the ordinary nar- 

 covics. As vomiting is not a common symptom, the contents of the stomach must be quickly 

 removed by the use of the stomach tube or emetics. It is well then to wash out that organ 

 thoroughly with strong tea, tannic acid, or an infusion of oak bark, and to administer stim- 

 ulants, such as brandy and hot, strong coffee. Pilocarpin is recommended by physicians to 

 counteract the drying effect upon the secretions (licorice is very useful), and prolonged artifi- 

 cial respiration must often be resorted to to maintain the aeration of the blood. 



As nothing has been said in regard to the atropin which is found in the 

 jimson weed, it might be said that the commercial atropin is derived from the 

 root of belladonna and when used externally it is a local anodyne. Dilute 

 solutions of aifopin paralyze and stop the corpuscular movement in the blood 

 and large doses give rise to slowing of the pulse. In poisoning it causes a 

 paralysis >.A the vascular motor centers and stimulates the brain ; large 

 doses produce restlessness and excitement and delirium in man and occasionally 

 delirium in lower animals. With reference to the spinal cord, large doses 

 cause complete loss of motion. Its action upon the nerves is very important 

 and on this depends much of the value of the drug. Dr. Winslow says : 



The peripheral motor nerve terminations, and to a less extent, their trunks, are de- 

 pressed and paralyzed. This is never so complete, however, but that there is some voluntary 

 power left in an animal fatally poisoned. 



Dryness of the mouth is one of the first symptoms following the use of 

 belladonna because of the paralysis of the peripheral terminations of the 

 secretory nerve. The involuntary nerves are not affected by moderate doses 

 of belladonna. The motor nerves ending in the voluntary muscles are paralyzed 

 by poisonous doses of belladonna. Small doses do not affect the respiration, 

 large doses make it quicker and deeper. Fatal doses cause asphyxia. Moderate 

 doses cause a rise of temperature, but fatal doses lessen the bodily heat. Dr. 

 Winslow gives the following summary of the action of the drug: 



It will be observed that belladonna, generally speaking, first stimulates and then depresses 

 the nerve centres, while it chiefly paralyzes the motor nerve terminations, including the :nhU)i- 

 tory (vagus and splanchnic), the secretory (Chorda tympani, etc.), and, to a less extent, the 

 sensory nerves. Secondary depression of the cerebrum is not so profound as that of the 

 great medullary centres, especially the respiratory centre, and there is sometimes a slight and 

 brief stimulation of the motor nerves of the smooth muscles, viz., vagus, splanchnic, and pos- 

 sibly vaso-motor nerves. 



Full medicinal doses depress the peripheral filaments of the inhibitory and secretory nerves, 

 and those of the unstriped muscles, lessen the functional activity of the voluntary motor sys- 

 tem, and, to a less degree, that of the afferent nerves. The pulse becomes quickened because 

 of paralysis of the peripheral vagus endings and stimulation of the heart or its ganglia; the 

 blood tension is augmented because of the increased cardiac action and stimulation of the 

 vasomotor centers; and the respiration is accelerated because of excitation of the respiratory 

 centers. The temperature is elevated owing to the circulatory exaltation and stimulation of the 

 heat-producing centers. Slight delirium may be present from the exciting action of the drug 

 upon the cerebral motor centers. 



The spinal cord is unaffected by therapeutic doses. I/ocally applied, belladonna i> a 

 direct paralyzant to nerves, muscles, vessels and cells. 



Toxic doses of belladonna cause in animals dryness of the mouth, increased frequency of 

 the pulse and respiration, elevation of temperature, dilation of the pupil and partial blindness, 

 restlessness, nervousness, delirium, twitching of the muscles (occasionally erythema), and 



