VERATRIA  AND  ACONITIA.  117 
VERATRIA  AND  ACONITIA  CONSIDERED  IN  A  TOXICOLOGICAL 
AND  PIIARMACO-DYNAMICAL  POINT  OF  VIEW, 
By  Dr.  Praag. 
The  author  has  studied  the  action  of  veratria  on  vertebrated 
animals,  particularly  on  the  mammalia,  and  also  on  birds,  reptiles 
and  fish.  He  has  analyzed  with  care  the  symptoms  observed,  in 
order  to  learn  the  action  of  this  medicine  on  different  systems 
and  organic  apparatus.  Recapitulating  afterwards,  he  deduces 
certain  general  propositions  in  regard  to  the  physiological  action 
of  veratria  which  he  found  in  a  great  many  points  analogous  to 
that  of  delphinia. 
The  following  is  the  author's  summary  of  the  properties  of 
this  substance  : 
The  respiration  and  circulation  become  less  active  ;  the  mus- 
cles lose  their  tension  ;  the  irritability  of  a  great  many  of  the 
nerves,  particularly  of  the  peripheral  cutaneous  nerves,  is  con- 
siderably abated.  On  the  contrary,  very  small  doses  suffice  to 
cause  vomiting  and  sometimes  diarrhoea.  More  frequently,  how- 
ever, the  vomiting  does  not  occur  but  with  strong  doses.  The 
urinary  secretion  is  not  much  augmented  ;  that  of  the  saliva  is 
sensibly  increased.  All  the  symptoms  are  preceded  by  a  certain 
excitation.  The  period  of  excitation  is  characterized  by  accele- 
rated respiration,  frequent  pulse,  spasmodic  muscular  tension, 
and  very  great  nervous  excitability.  Death  appears  to  proceed 
from  a  paralysis  of  the  spinal  marrow. 
The  author  has  also  instituted  some  experiments  on  the  hu- 
man economy,  and  found  its  action  the  same  as  on  animals. 
In  the  employment  of  veratria  we  should  keep  in  view  its  de- 
pressing influence  on  the  respiration  and  circulation,  perhaps 
also  its  property  of  diminishing  muscular  irritability.  It  ought, 
therefore,  to  be  efficacious  in  febrile  affections  accompanied  by 
muscular  tension,  as  for  example,  in  typhus  with  "erithrism," 
in  rheumatic  fever,  scarlatina,  traumatic  fever,  strangulated 
hernia,  and  acute  peritonitis,  under  the  condition  that  the  pa- 
tients have  not  been  too  much  debilitated  by  other  causes.  It 
will  be  appropriate,  also,  owing  to  its  action  on  the  pulse  and 
respiratory  function,  to  render  service  in  pneumonia,  pleurisy, 
and  diseases  of  the  heart  clearly  inflammatorv. 
