CRIMINAL POISONING 



171 



Datura fastuosa (Solanaceae). — Poisoning by datura is common 

 in India, having been used by the Thugs. The seeds are usually 

 mixed with food or drink, and the symptoms, which develop 

 rapidly, depend upon the dose, being generally those of a cerebral 

 poison. First there is delirium, and later coma, but in both 

 conditions the pupils are widely dilated. The delirium is peculiar; 



Fig. 12. — Datura fastuosa Linn^us. 



for example, the people affected may be found searching their 

 bedding most vigorously for some lost article. When death occurs, 

 it is due to cardiac failure. The fatal dose is not actually known, 

 but may be about 10 to 15 grains of the seeds. Waddell puts the 

 mortality at about 18J per cent. The post-mortem charac er- 

 istics are wide dilatation of the pupils, congestion of the brain, 

 meninges, and the lungs and other viscera. 



6. Poisons used with Intent to Cure Disease. . 

 Decoctions of bark Trianthema pentandra Linnaeus are used in the 

 Sudan for the purpose of curing gonorrhoea ; unfortunately, sometimes 

 this remedy is worse than the disease, causing enteritis and death. 



7. Poisons used to Simulate Injuries. 

 Plumbago rosea Linnseus (Plumbaginacese) and Anacardium occi- 

 dentale Linnaeus (Anacardiacese) are used to simulate bruises and 

 other injuries in order to get innocent people into trouble. 



8. Aphrodisiacs. 



The aphrodisiacs, which are much in demand by tropical natives, 

 may be divided into those of animal and those of vegetal origin. 



