CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  TOXICOLOGY. 
51 
way  into  the  room,  where  it  could  be  recognized  by  the  smell. 
On  December  31st,  both  were  seized  with  stupefaction,  connected 
with  and  increasing  to  headache,  somnolency,  unconsciousness, 
vomiting,  general  weakness,  red  and  turgent  face.  These 
symptoms  lasted  until  January  3d,  when  the  woman,  who  had 
been  nursing  her  husband,  had  to  go  bed,  and  soon  after  was 
found  by  the  neighbors  unconscious.  Two  persons  volunteered 
to  watch  all  night,  and  were  found  highly  stupified  the  next 
morning.  Bleeding  was  ordered,  the  blood  run  very  slowly,  was 
thick,  black,  tar-like.  All  four  persons  were  taken  to  the 
hospital. 
The  brother-in-law,  twenty-four  years  old,  lay  stretched  out, 
was  unconscious,  eyes  closed,  violent  spasms  of  the  vertebral  ex- 
tensors, high  degree  of  low-spiritedness,  intense  chilliness,  pale 
face,  fixed,  wide  pupils  (as  after  belladonna),  bloody  froth  on  the 
mouth,  rattling  quick  breathing,  pulse  130,  soft,  beating  of  the 
heart  imperceptible,  extremities  cold,  elbows  inflexible.  Treat- 
ment :  Bleeding  on  the  arm,  only  two  ounces  of  dark  blood  ob- 
tained, coagulating  into  a  hard  cake  of  the  usual  color ;  mustard 
plasters,  cold  fomentations  on  the  head,  acetic  ether,  slow 
recovery  till  the  sixth  day.  The  other  friend,  a  female,  twenty- 
nine  years  old,  answered  to  all  questions  right,  but  slowly,  eyes 
open,  pupils  normal,  breathing  quick,  chilliness,  skin  cold,  limbs 
moveable,  but  lax ;  after  she  went  to  bed  natural  heat  and 
sleepiness.  Treatment  :  Ice  on  the  head  and  mustard  on  the 
chest ;  recovery  on  the  third  day.  The  husband  and  his  wife 
were  conscious,  remembered  all  that  had  occurred,  and  recovered 
within  a  few  days. — ( Wurtcmb.  Corresp.  Blatt,  1854.  45.) 
The  "  Sedra  "  of  California,  by  Dr.  K.  Free ht. 
The  »  Sedra,"  so-called  on  account  of  the  resemblance  of  its 
leaves  to  those  of  the  ivy,  is  similar  to  the  Rhus  toxicodendron, 
and  belongs  to  the  earne  genus.  From  June  to  October  the  leaves 
are  of  a  greenish  orange  to  red  color,  and  then  their  poisonous 
properties  are  the  most  intense.  The  touch  of  the  leaves,  the 
smoke  of  the  burning  plant,  is  sufficient  to  cause  the  following 
symptoms  :  Tension,  heat,  swelling,  pricking,  redness,  a  complete 
inflammation,  then  dizziness  of  the  head,  weariness,  chilliness  and 
