Am  Jour.  Pliarni.  ) 
Mar.,  1881.  j 
Varieties. 
137 
of  each  40  parts.  3.  Thymol,  2,  linseed  oil,  40,  and  chalk  in  powder,  00 
jmrts.  The  mask  should  be  renewed  every  twelve  hours.  Compresses 
impregnated  with  one  of  these  mixtures  may  also  be  placed  on  the  hands, 
and  on  any  parts  of  the  face  with  which  the  mask  does  not  come  into  exact 
contact. — 3Ied.  and  Surg.  Rep.,  Feb.  lOtli. 
DuBOisiA  Poisoning.— Dr.  E.  L.  Holmes  ("Chicago  Med.  Jour  ,"  Nov. 
1880)  reports  the  following :  A  patient  at  the  eye  inflrmary,  during  conval- 
escence from  a  cataract  operation,  was  provided  with  a  small  bottle  of  sul- 
phate of  duboisia,  gr.  i  to  the  ounce.  On  the  27th  of  April,  about  9  o'clock,  in 
the  evening,  he  took  by  mistake  a  teaspoonful  of  the  solution.  The  patient 
at  once  informed  other  patients  near  him  that  he  had  taken  the  wrong 
solution,  but  concluded  to  await  the  result  before  reix)rting  to  the  nurse. 
In  about  ten  minutes  there  was  dryness  of  the  throat,  and  in  half  an  hour 
a  peculiar  sensation  in  legs,  then  in  the  thighs,  arms  and  other  parts  of  the 
body  as  if  they  were  asleep.  At  the  end  of  three-quarters  of  an  hour  or 
more  the  patient  could  scarcely  walk  or  stand.  At  this  time  a  nurse  was 
called  and  an  emetic  given  with  the  apparent  effect  of  entirely  relieving 
the  stomach  of  its  contents.  Without  delirium  the  patient  rapidly  passed 
into  a  state  of  unconsciousness  and  remained  in  this  condition  till  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  complained  for  two  days  of  muscular 
weakness  in  the  legs  and  arms,  and  especially  a  peculiar  jerking  action  of 
the  muscles  of  the  arm  in  extending  the  hand  to  grasp  a  glass  or  other 
object.  When  Dr.  Holmes  saw  the  patient  at  midnight  he  was  lying  quietly 
in  a  stupor,  from  which  he  could  not  be  aroused,  but  breathing  naturally. 
The  face  was  not  specially  flushed,  although  the  mouth  and  tongue  were 
remarkably  dry.  The  temperature  was  normal  The  pulse  varied  from 
108  to  112.  The  pulse  always  fell  to  80  when  the  patient  sat  up  in  bed.  An 
ounce  of  brandy  was  given  during  the  night. — Detroit  Lancet,  Feb.,  p.  369. 
Poisoning  by  Nitrite  of  Amyl. — Dr.  G.  F.  Senter  ("Indiana  Medical 
Heporter")  reports  the  case  of  a  young  lady  who,  by  mistake,  took  a  des- 
sert-spoonful of  nitrite  of  amyl.  A  druggist  gave  an  emetic  that  acted 
promptly.  In  twenty-five  minutes  the  doctor  saw  her ;  she  was  ejecting 
large  quantities  of  fluid  from  her  stomach,  which  saturated  the  whole  room 
with  an  amyl-like  odor.  Her  face  was  grayish-white,  her  pupils  widely 
•dilated,  her  eyes  glassy  and  vacantly  rolling  in  their  sockets  The  month 
was  wide  open,  breathing  spasmodic  and  irregular  ;  a  few  breaths  would  be 
very  rapid,  and  then  slow  and  long-drawn  ;  finally,  they  ceased  all  rapidity 
and  became  barely  preceptible.  The  pulse  was  irregular  and  jerking  when 
first  exanuned ;  soon,  however,  it  became  so  slow  and  feeble  that  often  it 
€ould  not  be  detected  at  the  wrist.  The  patient  was  "the  most  limp,  lim- 
ber, relaxed  body  imaginable."  The  skin  was  cold,  clammy  and  suffused 
with  a  moist  adhesive  perspiration,  supersaturated  with  amyl.  The  treat- 
ment was  locally — message  and  warmth  to  the  head  and  extremities,  alter- 
nating with  ambulation  and  flagellation  ;  internally,  after  free  emesis,  hot 
coffee,  sometimes  with  and  sometimes  without  10  drops  of  tinctura  opii. — 
Ibid. 
