Natrium nitrosum

Volume IV — Appendix

NATRUM NITROSUM.

Sodium nitrite, NaNO,.

II. Poisonings. — I. Dr. Hay finds that sodium nitrite, in a dose of 5, 10, or 20 gr., accelerates the pulse and causes throbbing and sense of fulness in head and eyes, with slight flushing of face. The sensations of throbbing and fulness last an h. or more, — the longer the larger the dose. (Pract.y March 1883.)

1. a. To 18 adults — 14 men and 4 women — we ordered 10 gr. of the crude nitrite in ^j of water, and of these 17 came back, protesting loudly that they were unable to take it. One man, a burly strong fellow, suffering from a little rheumatism only, said that after taking the first dose he felt giddy, as if he would " go off insensible " His lips, face, and hands turned blue, and he had to lie down for i^ h. before he dared move. His heart fluttered, and he suffered from throbbing pains in the head. Another patient had to sit down for an h. after the dose, and said it " took all his strength away." Another said that in about ^ h. after taking the first dose his heart came on beating very fast, and he throbbed all over. He felt very sick, but did not actually vomit. The women appeared to have suffered more than the men. One said that 10 m, after taking the first dose — she did not try a second — she felt a trembling sensation all over her, and suddenly fell on the floor. Whilst lying there she perspired freely ; her face and head seemed swollen, and throbbed violently, until she thought they vrould burst ; she felt sick, but did not actually vomit ; this lasted about 3 h. Another woman said she thought she would have died after taking a dose ; it threw her into a violent perspiration, and in less than 10 m. her lips turned quite black, and throbbed for hours ; it upset

• Hess, Bouchard, and others have repeated these expts. with the lame result. —Eds.

her so much that she feared she would never get over it. The one of the 14 men who made no complaint after taking 10 gfj powerfully affected by 15. He suffered from violent nausea, an head, he said, felt as if it would split in two.

i/. To 16 patients — 12 men and 4 women — we ordered the ni in 5 gr. doses, and none of the women and only half of the men ' able 10 go on with it. The symptoms complained of wrere I experienced with the large dose — faintness, nervousness, and pi head. Nausea with eructation was of frequent occurrence, and ia| or two cases there was actual vomiting. A young woman of Zf she felt the effects of the medicine in about 10 m.,and had to lied She felt sick, and then vomited, the vomiting lasting off and on h. She had to keep her bed the whole d., and was so weak ii that she thought she was dying. Another said the medicine upsci so much that she went off in hysterics, and could not hold a limbi she lost all the colour from her face, becoming deadly pale, and i[ terrible headache, which was worse when she moved, especial! going upstairs.

c. To 13 patients — all men this time — we ordered the drug in doses, and in only 4 cases was any complaint made. These pati however, suffered from the usual symptoms. One said "the med kept rising so, that he could not keep it down." Another compll that it " turned his lips blue, gave him a headache, and made bint giddy ;" whilst the other two suffered chiefly from pains acros! forehead.

J, Several observers have met with unpleasant symptoms a result of the administration of nitrite of sodium. Dr. Ramskill tions a young lady who, after taking 15 gr., fell down with livii and staring eyes in a most alarming condition. Dr. Ralfe preso 12 gr. doses to 3 patients ; all returned in a few h. with blue lips, state of semi-collapse, evidently produced by the drug. (RiNtitI MuRRELL, Lancet, Nov. 3rd, 1883.)

1. Experiments on animals. — i. A black cat, weighing 5 J lb., injected under the skin of the back with 4 c.c. of a 10 per i aqueous sol. In 14 m. the animal was panting, resp. being 148-^ and superficial. The tongue was protruded, and of a dark co The pupils were widely dilated, and there was great muscular weak These symptoms increased in severity, urine and fzces were passed,! was slight opisthotonos, and in 20 m. after injection the animal was At the autopsy, which was made immediately, it was found that^ muscles were unusually light in colour, and that their contractilit/i tested by the interrupted current, was quickly lost ; in fact, in it was quite gone. On opening chest and cutting aorta, blood found to be very dark, almost like treacle. Lungs had a dark choc tint and were speckled, L, ventricle of heart was contracted, whi was dilated, and no contractions could be obtained in either auricl ventricles, even with the strongest current. On opening abdf dark colour of liver at once attracted attention i and further mination showed that stomach, intestines and bladder were (itttAy tracted. {Uid.)