244       POISONING  BY  STRYCHNIA — TREATED  "WITH  OLIVE  OIL. 
POISONING  BY  STRYCHNIA— TREATED  WITH  OLIYE  OIL; 
By  S.  A.  Gus.  Shaw,  M.  D. 
March  7,  1852,  I  was  called  to  see  a  negro  woman  belonging 
to  R.  M.  Hannay,  of  Rock  Island,  Texas  ;  found  her,  on  my 
arrival,  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  in  convulsions,  with 
slight  rigidity  ;  she  was  very  sensible  to  external  impressions, 
the  contact  of  the  cup  to  the  lips  being  sufficient  to  produce  a 
paroxysm  requiring  four  negro  men  to  confine  her  to  the  bed, 
lasting  two  or  three  minutes ;  the  paroxysms  occurred  every 
five  minutes  when  she  was  left  perfectly  quiet.  The  least  move- 
ment or  touch  was  sufficient  to  renew  them  immediately.  The 
pulse  unchanged ;  inspiration  deep ;  anxiety ;  heat  of  the 
stomach,  and  a  choking  sensation  in  the  throat.  I  had  admin- 
istered strychnia  a  few  days  before  in  a  case  of  paralysis  of  the 
arm,  and  was  struck  with  the  analogy  of  the  contractions  with 
the  effect  produced  by  that  article.  I  administered  a  half  bottle 
of  sweet  oil,  which  she  vomited  ;  repeated  it  immediately,  which 
she  retained  five  minutes,  and  vomited  ;  repeated  again,  which 
she  retained,  perhaps,  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  and  again  vomited. 
On  stepping  out  of  the  cabin,  I  found  three  dogs  in  the  same 
condition,  which  was  immediately  accounted  for,  as  they  had 
lapped  up  the  oil  vomited  by  the  girl.  By  this  time  the  girl 
could  speak  without  bringing  on  the  paroxysm,  and  informed  us 
that,  about  four  o'clock,  she  had  found  a  piece  of  dried  beef  in 
the  cabin,  which  she  tasted  of,  and  finding  it  extremely  bitter, 
gave  it  to  her'children.  I  immediately  stepped  to  the  crib  where 
they  lay,  and  found  one  of  two  years  in  the  same  condition  in 
which  the  mother  had  been.  I  gave  the  oil  which  had  operated 
so  happily,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  them  out  of  danger 
at  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  returned  home.  The  woman  was 
in  the  field  at  work  next  morning  at  ten  o'clock  A.  M.  "When 
I  paid  my  visit  during  the  evening,  she  had  a  slight  paroxysm  in 
the  field,  and  was  again  treated  with  the  oil,  and  completely  re- 
lieved. No  bad  effect  was  produced.  No  change,  except  an 
increase  of  appetite,  could  be  perceived.  Both  recovered.  The 
three  dogs  died  before  I  left,  at  twelve  o'clock  h  fourth  dog 
was  taken,  and  saved  by  the  oil.  The  facts  in  the  case  were 
these  :  Mr.  Hannay  had  set  baits  for  wolves  during  the  winter, 
