^^Miy^i,' mi''*'* }  Poisoning  hy  Gelsemium  Sempeo'virens,  225 
washing  it  three  times  with  ;40  grs.  of  chloroform,  after  which  the 
filter  is  again  dried.  The  weight  of  the  morphia  represents  the 
amount  obtained  from  133  grs.  of  crude  opium.  If  in  the  meantime 
another  portion  of  opium,  obtained  from  different  parts  of  the  cake, 
has  been  thoroughly  dried,  it  is  easy  to  calculate  the  morphia  con- 
tained in  100  grs.  dry  opium. 
The  assay  is  finished  in  24  hours,  and  the  morphia  is  obtained  in  a 
very  pure  condition,  little  colored  and  in  a  crystalline  form. — 
Zeitsc'hr.  d.  Oester.  Apoth.  Vereins^  1871,  10 — 12. 
A  CASE  OF  POISONING  WITH  GELSEMIUM  SEMPERVIRENS. 
By  Joseph  G.  Pinkham,  M.  I).,  Lynn. 
On  the  night  of  December  5th,  18(i9,  I  was  called  in  great  haste 
to  see  Mrs.  F.,  a  former  patient  of  mine,  who  was  said  to  be  dying. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  I  arrived  at  her  bedside,  and  found 
her  in  the  following  alarming  condition  :  Totally  unconscious  ;  breath- 
ing stertorous,  and  very  imperfect ;  countenance  of  livid  paleness  ; 
lower  jaw  drooping,  leaving  the  mouth  wide  open  ;  eyelids  partially 
closed,  and  motionless  ;  pupils  moderately  dilated ;  pulse  100  per 
minute,  regular,  but  weak.  On  making  hasty  inquiries,  I  ascertained 
that  she  had  been  taking  some  medicine  from  a  quack  herbalist,  who 
recommended  it,  in  the  choice  English  of  that  refined  sect,  as  being 
able  to  "knock  pain  higher  than  a  kite."  Being  satisfied  that  the 
case  was  one  of  poisoning  with  some  narcotic,  I  attempted  to  admin- 
ister an  emetic  of  sulphate  of  zinc  ;  but,  owing  to  the  great  difficulty 
in  swallowing,  I  did  not  succeed  in  getting  enough  down  to  produce 
emesis.  Friction  and  stimulants  were  then  resorted  to,  and  in  about 
one  hour  and  a  half  consciousness  began  to  return.  Treatment  was 
continued,  but  recovery  was  not  complete  for  several  days,  the  prin- 
cipal complaint  being  of  great  prostration  and  muscular  weakness, 
particularly  of  the  elevators  of  the  lower  jaw,  and  eyelids,  and 
the  muscles  of  the  arms.  After  the  return  of  consciousness,  intelligible 
speech  was  at  first  only  possible  when  the  jaws  were  supported.  The 
tongue  also  was  stiff,  and  the  voice  thick  and  guttural.  Tlie  patient 
stated  that,  before  she  became  unconscious,  objects  appeared  double, 
and  then  she  grew^  by  degrees  completely  blind.  She  thought  (and 
naturally  enough)  that  she  was  dying.  Subsequently,  I  saw  the 
"doctor,"  and  learned  from  him  that  he  had  given  gelsemium  semper- 
12 
