( 9 ) 
NUTMEG POISONING. 
By a. Maeius Wilson, M.D., RE.S.S.Af. 
(Read October 20, 1909.) 
A lady, aged 35 years, who had given birth to eight children, had 
heard that as an abortifacient grated nutmeg was safe and reliable. She 
therefore carefully grated one nutmeg, boiled it with a breakfast-cupful of 
beer (brewed in the Peninsula) and drank every drop of the mixture about 
11 p m., just before getting into bed. Nutmeg she was used to with her 
food, but very rarely ever touched stimulants. About 5 a.m. next morn- 
ing she woke feeling very ill, numb, dull, and heavy all over." She 
then tried to sit up, but only fell back again, and so roused her husband. 
To him she complained of ''feeling so ill, my heart is jumping, and I 
think I am going to die." Off he ran for the nearest doctor, who came 
and saw the patient soon after quarter past five. He found her very 
excitable about her approaching end, ordered some bromides and also 
castor oil. The bowels were moved about 11 o'clock. 
Later on, as this lady had been a patient of mine for some years, I 
was called in and saw her at quarter to ten. I found her lying in bed, 
unwilling to move, eyelids closed, and heard from her much of what I 
have already related. It seemed to be an effort on her part to speak ; 
I therefore obtained more details from her husband. When the attack 
had quite passed away, she informed me that, though she might have 
appeared very drowsy, she was wide awake and was listening keenly 
to everything said, but felt she could not open her eyes or join in the 
conversation. There was no vomiting, nor even any nausea, but there 
was great thirst ; the lips, tongue, palate, and throat were very dry and 
parched, and this continued for three days. The pupils were equal and 
neither contracted nor dilated. The eyelids were closed and, in common 
with the rest of the muscular system, seemed to have lost much of their 
power. The heart and pulse were beating regularly and at a fairly 
normal rate. The urine showed nothing. The most marked feature was 
the feeling of impending death and constriction of the thorax. Though 
talking seemed to be an exertion, the patient many times made the 
