CASE  OF  POISONING  BY  VERATRUM  VIRIDE.  375 
ceased  taking  the  veratrum,  there  remained  forty  or  fifty  drops 
mixed  with  water,  in  the  proportion  of  four  drops  to  a  teaspoon- 
ful,  which  the  mother  saved  for  future  use,  keeping  it  in  a  cup 
four  or  five  days,  then  pouring  it  into  a  bottle.  About  six  weeks 
after  this,  the  child  caught  cold,  was  feverish,  and  had  some 
difficulty  in  breathing.  The  mother  commenced  giving  the  vera- 
trum every  half  hour,  in  teaspoonful  doses  of  the  mixture  she 
had  saved,  until  four  or  five  doses  had  been  given ;  a  tablespoon- 
ful  was  given  for  one  dose  by  mistake.  The  whole  quantity  taken 
was  probably  not  less  than  thirty -five  drops,  for  the  four  or  five 
days'  evaporation  must  have  increased  the  proportionate  strength 
of  a  dose  at  least  one  drop. 
There  was  an  effort  to  vomit  after  the  second  dose,  but  without 
ejecting  anything  from  the  stomach.  Efforts  to  vomit  were  made 
every  few  minutes,  but  without  success,  except  once,  when  a 
small  quantity  passed  from  the  mouth.  I  was  called  to  the  child 
about  seven  hours  after  taking  the  first  dose.  I  found  him  appa- 
rently unconscious,  very  pale,  breathing  heavy — almost  sterto- 
rous ;  pulse  40,  extremities  cold,  and  a  profuse  cold  perspiration 
over  the  whole  body.  These  symptoms  I  supposed  were  the 
result  of  the  large  doses  of  the  veratrum.  I  made  no  attempt  to 
remove  the  contents  of  the  stomach,  but  ordered  mustard  paste 
to  be  applied  to  the  chest,  abdomen  and  extremities,  and  carbon- 
ate of  ammonia  and  camphor — three  grains  of  the  former  to  one 
of  the  latter — every  hour,  and  a  drachm  of  brandy  intermediately. 
This  treatment  was  kept  up  until  the  child  died,  about  thirteen 
hours  after  taking  the  first  dose  of  the  veratrum. 
Remarks. — This  child  had  always  been  feeble,  and  his  mother 
was  in  the  habit  of  frequently  dosing  him  for  real  or  imaginary 
sickness  It  is  possible,  if  not  probable,  that  the  result  would 
have  been  different  had  there  been  free  emesis  within  an  hour  or 
two  after  taking  the  medicine.  I  did  not  attempt  to  remove  the 
contents  of  the  stomach,  for  the  case  seemed  almost  hopeless 
when  I  first  saw  it. 
This  is  the  first  case  of  death  from  an  overdose  of  veratrum 
viride  I  have  seen  or  heard  of,  and  therefore  it  is  possible  I  did 
not  pursue  the  best  course  of  treatment. 
