DEATH  FROM  AN  OVERDOSE  OF  STRYCHNIA. 
309 
DEATH  RESULTING  FROM  AN  OYBRDOSE  OP  STRYCH- 
NIA.— AN  INTERESTING  CASE. 
By  Charles  Bullock. 
A  case  of  death,  resulting  from  an  overdose  of  strychnia, 
occurred  recently  in  Pennsylvania  under  circumstances  which 
render  the  case  interesting  and  instructive  to  both  medical  prac- 
titioner and  pharmaceutist. 
The  patient  had  been  laboring  under  an  attack  of  partial 
paralysis,  and  the  medical  attendant  directed  the  following 
prescription : 
R    Strychnias  Muriat:  gr.  iss. 
Liq:  Ferri  lodid  ;  5vj. 
Syr:  Zingiberis  q.  s.  ut  ft:  f^iij- 
M. 
Sig.  dose  a  teaspoonful. 
The  whole  of  this  prescription  was  used  as  directed,  and  the 
bottle  returned  to  the  druggist,  by  order  of  the  physician,  for 
renewal  of  the  medicine,  the  dose  on  renewal  being  increased  to 
one  and  one-half  teaspoonful.  This  was  taken  with  apparent 
benefit  to  the  patient,  until  the  last  dose,  exhausting  the  contents 
of  the  bottle,  was  given.  About  an  hour  after,  while  at  a  meal, 
the  patient  complained  of  strange  sensations,  and  was  soon 
affected  with  tonic  spasms,  which  are  described  by  two  medical 
gentlemen,  who  were  called  in,  as  well  marked  results  of  an  over- 
dose of  strychnia.  Proper  remedies  were  promptly  used  and 
the  spasmodic  action  passed  away,  leaving  the  patient  able  to 
speak,  but  greatly  prostrated,  and  failing  to  respond  to  stimulants 
death  ensued  in  a  few  hours. 
The  bottle  which  contained  the  medicine  w^as  produced  before 
the  coroner's  jury  (composed  of  physicians  and  pharmaceutists).  It 
appeared  to  have  been  drained  of  its  contents  to  make  up  the  last 
dose;  adhering  to  the  bottle  were  well-formed  crystals,some  of  them 
about  a  line  in  length  and  one- fourth  line  in  thickness.  Unfortu- 
nately no  chemical  examination  was  made  to  determine  whether 
the  crystals  were  undissolved  muriate  of  strychnia  or  iodide  of 
strychnia.  A  microscopical  examination  failed  to  carry  much 
weight,  on  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  form  of  the  crystal  by 
washing  previous  to  mounting,  the  size  of  the  crystal  not  being 
accepted  in  evidence,  as  crystals  of  iodide  of  strychnia  were 
I 
