Squilla maritima

Volume IV — Main text

Urghua Sdlla, Steinheil. Squill, sea onion. Nat. Old , Liliacea.

1. Prevings. — i. Hahnemann, Mat. Med. Pura^ vol. iii of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 86 symptoms from self, 172 n'om 7 associates, and 30 from authors.

2. Dr. Hammond took 2 gr. of the dried bulb 3 times a day for 3 d. to ascertain effects on urine. It was found to act similarly to digitalis and juniper, causing increase in water of urine and inorganic solids, but reduction in amount of organic matter — the latter considerably greater than with the other two substances. (Urine, from 1358 c.c, rose to 1493 — '57^> ^^^ inorganic solids from 27 grm. to 30 — 31 ; organic solids fell from 42 grm. to 28 — 31.) {jfmer. Journ. of Mtd. Sc.y N. S., xxxvii, 277.)

3. The Vienna Society of Physicians proved the extr., beginning with i gr. and increasing to 19 gr. doses. The following symptoms were observed : — Great ill-humour ; pressure in stomach, frequent eructations, nausea and inclination to vomit ; increased warmth in abdomen and much flatulent distension, with griping and rumbling ; pulse accelerated in one, retarded in another ; trembling and weakness of extremities ; general discomfort ; chilliness over whole body. From small doses stools diminished at first ; from larger ones frequent and soft, with burning at anus, — in one prover first soft stool was accompanied by pain in sacrum and tenesmus, but it relieved griping j from larger doses stools were sluggish, and constipation followed the proving. In one prover from large doses there was increased secretion of urine till the liquid stools set in. {Zeitsch. d. Gesell. dtr Aerzte %u Wten^ 1847.)

4. The subject of experiment was a young man who, before commencing to take the drug, had his urine investigated for 5 d. with the following result :

1st day passed 1386 grm., sp. gr. 1016.

2nd „ „ 1542 „ „ 1015.

3rd „ „ 1282 „ „ 1 01 6.

4th and 5th „ „ 1534 „ „ roi6.

He now got gr. iij Sc. 4 times a d. Immediately increased saliva i warm feeling in stomach, which went off after 4 d., though still continuing to take the drug. On 5th d. a persistent clayey taste, with tongue furred whitish yellow, eructation of tasteless and inodorous gas, diminished appetite and feeling of discomfort in stomach, occasional pains in abdomen, stools not more numerous but more copious, increased thirst. The urine was as follows :

1st day passed 1392 grm., sp. gr. 1016.

2nd „ , ~

4th „ „

6th „ , After waiting some d., by which time all the symptoms had disappeared.

I4I8

«

IOI6.

1428

»

IOI6.

1622

J>

IOI4.

I40S

»

IOI6.

1382

w

1 01 6.

4a

he got3s& Sc. This caused the same symptoms but in greater degfce. Three d. afterwards he got 3j p. dos. and had retching, diarrhoea, and colic, and the experiment had to be stopped. While taking tl larger doses the urine was as follows :

1st dav passed 1422 grm., sp. gr. 1015.

2nd „

•398

»

yy

do.

3<-^ V

)

1438

1'

1*

do.

4th „

s

1242

)■<

u

5th „

i

1297

»i

»l

6th „

1285

»

•n

do.

7th „

»>

1462

»>

)t

■4

n

The inferences drawn from this trial are : i. Squill in small medicinil doses has in the healthy no diuretic action, it increases neither the quantity nor the sp. gr. of the urine. 2, In large doses it is not a| diuretic in the healthy. 3. In small doses continued for a considerable time it causes in the healthy slight gastric disturbance, in larger doses this disturbance is greater. (Pieper, Allg. Med. Cent. Z«/., xxiv, 565.)

II. Poissnings. — i. A labourer, act. 58, affected with general dropsjr, J procured some squills cut in small pieces, which he digested for 48 h.fl in about 280 grm. of white wine. He took at one dose the half of^^ this mixture, and as he very soon after experienced violent griping, he took a few more spoonsful to increase the effect. Extreme nausea and yet more violent colic was the result ; and when these had continued 24 h., without giving rise to vomiting. Wolfing was called in. He found face of patient red and burning, but feet and hands almost cold; pulse was small and contracted ; abdomen so tender that slightest covering could not be borne. Emollients, &c., were given, and pains had almost entirely ceased on 2nd d. ; but patient then expired. (^ffW.j and Ed. Monthly Journ. of Med. Sc, tii, 79.)

1. I have witnessed several instances in which the ordinary medicinal dose of the tinct. or of the powdered dry squill caused very alarming symptoms — violent colic, purging, palpitation, difficult or cmbar> rassed breathing, dilatation of pupils, and bloody urine. In one case,' which terminated fatally, an eruption not unlike that of purpuraj hacmorrhagica appeared, attended with a considerable degree of collapse. (A. T. Thomson, Lancet^ 1836-7, ii, 851.)

2. Plenk saw convulsions produced by S. in a child. A case 11 related in which 5] of the powder was taken to relieve a fit of asthma ;| but it produced violent and painful vomiting, great prostration, itching* and an eruption on the skin, injected face, great heat of trunk and head, and coldness of extremities. The result, however, was not fatal. (Still K, op. cit.) »

III. Experiments on animals. — I. M. GossELiN experimented onfll does and rabbits with Scillitine,* and with the"resinoid matter" oF^ Tilloy. His conclusions arc that Scillitine exhibits all the characters of the " narcotico-acid " poisons of Orfila ; that it is very poisonous in doses of 5 centigr., and even in those of 3 — 4 centigr. excites an active inflammation of the alimentary canal ; that its ingestion by the

•. A substance of doubtful composiiiun and varying characters, oblainnl from I itjuilli. — Eds.

stomach has for the first effect violent vomiting and purging, but that narcotism manifests itself later, and that death seems to ensue upon contractions of the heart ending in its paralysis ; and that, applied enden mically, it acts much more rapidly, and almost exclusively as a narcotic, killing a rabbit in 37 m. and a vigorous dog in i h. 22 m. {Jnn. dt Th^ap., 1857, p. 98.)

1. Chateau administered to dogs, in various ways, divers preparations of Scilla. He thus sums up its effects : — '* The animals become sad ; then ensues salivation, nausea, efforts to vomit, semi-liquid stools voided with difficulty, and as it were drop by drop ; then, when dose is large enough, tremors, and paralysis of hind limbs which soon extends to fore limbs. Convulsions, sudden and brief, occur, and then immediately comes complete collapse and death. There was constantly observed a reduction of temp, during the toxic action. P.M.y besides evidences of local irritation, the ganglia of the sympathetic were found red, and the cerebellum and spinal cord sometimes softened to the extent of diffluence. (Arch. G^n. dt Med.^ 1854, i, 53.)

2. HusEMANN, from his experiments on animals, arrives at the following conclusions : — (i) The action on the nerves and the muscular structure of the heart is the same as that of digitalis and other so-called cardiac poisons ; (2} its diuretic action can only be explained by its producing increase of the blood-pressure in conjunction with its action on the heart ; (3) it is not an anti-pyretic ; there is, on the contrary, a constant rise of temp, both from large and from small doses. {Lond. Med. Record^ 1876, p. 120.)

3. ScHROFF experimented on rabbits, using alcoholic extracts of Squill and also Scillitine. The latter occasioned contraction of pupil, great debility, muscular tremors, sinking of pulse, diuresis, dulness, oppressed breathing, and death ; the former gave rise to similar but less intense phenomena which also ended fetally. After death by Scillitine there was inflammation and erosion of stomach, and hasmorrhagic transudations were found about heart and lungs and in kidneys and brain. {B. and F. M. Ch. RtvieWy 1865, ii, 248.)

4. Emmert and Hoering, who introduced S. into the peritoneal cavity of animals, found that the characteristic symptoms followed ; and Chiarenti rubbed a solution into the skin of a dog with the effect of producing copious diuresis. (Stills, op. dt.)

SCROPHULARIA.

Scropkularia nedoia, L., knotted fig-wort, and S. marilandica, fever>weed. Nat. Ord., ScropftuUtriacea,

I. PrdvtHgs.—i. Dr, W. H. Blakelet proved S, mariiandica, taking 10 dr. of tinct. incieasing to a teaspoonful several times a d. Took in all about Jij.

a. Vertigo with severe aching in supra-orbital region. Dizziness, fulness and