ACONITINE. 
379 
through his wife (Malcolm John’s sister), would receive, on the death of 
his brother-in-law, a sum of £1500, and, according to the evidence, it is 
probable that there had been one or more previous attempts by Lamson 
on the life of the youth with aconitine given in pills and in powders. 
However this may be, on November 24, 1880, Lamson purchased 2 
grains of aconitine, came down on December 3 to the school where the 
lad was placed, had an interview with his brother-in-law, and, in the 
presence of the headmaster, gave Malcolm John a capsule, which he 
filled then and ther§ with some white powder, presumed at the time to 
be sugar. Lamson only stayed altogether twenty minutes in the house, 
and directly after he saw his brother-in-law swallow the capsule, he left. 
Within fifteen minutes Malcolm John became unwell, saying that he 
felt as if he had an attack of heartburn, and then that he felt the same 
as when his brother-in-law had on a former occasion given him a quinine 
pill. Violent vomiting soon set in, and he complained of pains in his 
stomach, a sense of constriction in his throat, and of being unable 
to swallow. He was very restless—so much so that he had to be 
restrained by force from injuring himself. There was delirium a few 
minutes before death, which took place about three hours and three- 
quarters after swallowing the fatal dose. The post-mortem appearances 
essentially consisted of redness of the greater curvature of the stomach 
and the posterior portion of the same organ. In one part there was a 
little pit, as if a blister had broken ; the rest of the viscera were con¬ 
gested, and the brain also slightly congested. 1 
§ 443. The symptoms of poisoning by the tincture, extract, or other 
preparation do not differ from those detailed. As unusual effects, 
occasionally seen, may be noted profound unconsciousness lasting for two 
hours (Topham’s case), violent twitching of the muscles of the face, 
opisthotonos, and violent convulsions. It is important to distinguish 
the symptoms which are not constant from those which are constant, or 
nearly so. The tingling and creeping sensations about the tongue, 
throat, lips, etc., are not constant: they certainly were not present in the 
remarkable German case cited at p. 377. Speaking generally, they seem 
1 To these cases of poisoning by the alkaloid aconitine may be added one recorded 
in Bouchardat’s Annuaire de Therapeutie, 1881, p. 276. The case in itself is of but 
little importance, save to illustrate the great danger in permitting the dispensing of 
such active remedies of varying strength. A gentleman suffering from “ angina 
pectoris ” was prescribed “ Hottot’s aconitine ” in granules, and directed carefully to 
increase the doso up to four granules, according to the effect produced. The pre¬ 
scription was taken to a pharmacist, who, instead of supplying Hottot’s aconitine, 
supplied some other of unknown origin. The medicine was taken daily, and the 
dose raised to four granules, which were taken with benefit until the whole was 
exhausted. He then went to Hottot’s establishment, and had a fresh supply, pre¬ 
sumably of the same substance; but a very little time after he had taken his usual 
dose of four granules, he suffered from symptoms of aconitine poisoning, headache, 
vertigo, feebleness of the voice, and muscular weakness, and was alarmingly ill. He 
recovered after some hours of medical treatment. 
