112 VETEEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



Treatment consists in removal of the poison, when 

 possible by emetics,'' xV grain apomorphine hypodermically 

 having induced vomition in three minutes^ in a dog. 

 The patient should be kept quiet and protected from ex- 

 ternal stimuli as much as possible. McCall records^ a 

 successful cure of a dog by chloroform inhalation, xjr grain 

 apomorphine, and after vomition ^ grain morphine re- 

 peated two or three times. 



The best physiological antidote is chloral. Howe ^ gave 

 6 grains chloral hydrate in solution to a dog, repeated 

 in one hour and then in three hours. There were no fits 

 after the first dose, and next day the dog was better. As 

 an emergency treatment an infusion of tobacco has been 

 successfully employed (Macer®). 



W. C. Prudames* in treating strychnine poisoning of 

 stag hounds, found it necessary in some cases to inject 

 ^ grain apomorphine to secure vomiting. Followed by 

 20 grains chloral by the mouth this proved effective. 



There is danger in giving antidotes by the mouth, for 

 if a spasm occurs the liquid may pass into the trachea, 

 and cause suffocation or pneumonia. It ought also to 

 be borne in mind that after absorption emetics may do 

 more harm than good. According to Wallis Hoare, a 

 large dose of chlorodyne and a full dose of castor oil have 

 proved successful, probably by both hastening expulsion 

 and retarding absorption. 



Chemical Diag'nosis. — -Strychnine is obtained as a residue 

 from organic solvents in the course of the systematic separa- 

 tion of vegetable principles, according to the scheme out 

 lined later. "When a large dose has been given, there may 

 be obtained a crystalline deposit weighing several grains, 

 but very often only a gummy smear rendered impure by 

 the organic matter, always separated during the extraction, 

 may result. The recognition of strychnine depends on 

 three tests : (1) The substance must have an intensely 

 bitter taste, a solution of 1 grain of strychnine in a gallon 

 still exhibits distinct bitterness. (2) Strychnine dissolves 

 * Private communication. 



