Oenanthe crocata

Volume III — Main text

CENANTHE. (Enaitthe trociltt^ L. Hemlock water dtop-woit. Nat. Ord., UmhtUifrra.

II. Poisonings. — i. In 1748 8 Irisb boys, having taken this plant for water parsnrp, ate several of ihc rools. In 4 or 5 h. the cidcrt fell suddenly on hi* back and died in convuUions. Four other$ died in the same way, without having been able to utter a word from the instant the poison seemed to attack the nervous system. Of the three remaining one bcv'ame furiously maniacal, but came to himself the next m. j another lost hi* nails and hair; the third was the only one who escaped tree, having run two miles and drunk hot milk, which produced copious perspiration. (Kay, Phil. Trans, t xx, 84.)

z. a. March loth, 1758, 17 soldiers of the garrison of Ajaccio poisoned themselves. One of them, having a mind to treat his comrades with good soup, had boiled in it a plant of which he had cut the leave<t and root. They drank the &oup with avidity, but in 1 h. some fell into syncope and convuKions. One had died before I arrived, i h. after supper; a second wa& expiring; a third f^howed no ugn of life but trembling and convulsions. The activity of the poison was so great that I saw two fall into a swoon, while, at perfect ease about themselves, they were attending to their sick comrades.

b. The author of this deadly feast seemed in the most hopeless state. The upturning of his eyes, the contraction of his lower jaw, the feebleness of pulse, the inability to move, feel, or know anything, with an universal chill spread over his whole body, seemed to be so many signs of death. Atter vatn attempts to give an emetic I had him rolled and well shaken in a blinket by 8 men for a b. He reco> vered warmth, and then insensibly movement and life. The firit signs were efforts to vomit, which, aided by an emetic, were effectual, and the vomiting went on tor da)'s, take what he would. He fell a-slcep for 15 h. On April ist his tongue was extremely sore and swollen, from being bitten during the con\ul5ions. From ind to 5th \\f< no»e bled twice, and I bled him i times Irotn the arm. The following d. his sufferings abated. He remembered nothing that had befallen him from the ist to the 3rd d. of his illness. (Vacher, Journ. i/r mei., 186 j.)

1. A man about 40, when fasting, ate this root. He soon complained of great heat in throat ; ^ h. after he became speechless, fell down unconscious and was seized with terrible convuUions, which lasted i h. and ended in death. It was impossible to give any medicine, the jaws being clo«d by trismus the whole time. (Bry, /(/*. pirioJ, Ixxxii, 63. 1823.)

+. In 1843 21 men of the Royal Ar^^cnal, Woolwich, ate CEn. by mistake for celery. Nine were seized with violent convulsions and loss of consciousness | h. after. One, with face swullcn and livid, and bloody froth Issuing from hu mouth and nostrils, stertorous and convulsive respiration, insensibility, and prostration, died in \ h. Another, after bdng a prey to the most violent convulsions, was in a kind of apoplectic state, — insensible, &pcechlcsi>, with pupils dilated, tace puffed and livid, respiration laborious, limbs contracted, and jaws Axed in trismus. On his recovering consciousness the convulsions were renewed, he tell into a coma, and died in an h. in a

fresh convulsive fit. In i the convulsions gave n'ay to maniacal delirium, with toiting about. Others felt numbness and feebleness of limbs. Two left hospital on 5th d., believing themselves cured, but returned, having been seized anew with ftyncope. Purgatives made them pass d^ris of the root on 6th and 7th d. Xhey nevertheless succumbed, one on the 9th, the other on the xith d. of the poisoning. (BossEY, LonJ^ Med. Caz.y 1844, p. 289.)

1. The following is a rhume of the posUmortem appearances in 6 fatal cases :

a. Exterior aspect : \try marked rigidity of the corpse j hand stronjgly bent, with thumb applied forcibly to palm } nails bluish ; small livid patches on front of trunk, on back part generally a deep purple discoloration, which also pervaded scrotum and penis. Face injected and puffy; eyelids slightly apart, conjunctiva slightly congested, pupils widely dilated ; lips, groins, and ears purple; tongue showing through teeth and bitten at tip ; fruth issumg from nostrils.

b. Ntrrvous system : Incision of scalp let out great quantities of black fluid blood. Veins of pia mater, greatly distended, form numerous arborescent patterns on surface of convolutions and in their intervals. The cerebral substance is strongly injected, especially the white matter ; so aUo the medulla oblongata. Serous effusion prettr abundant under arachnoid and in ventricles. Sinuses distended with much fluid blood. Sheath of cord strongly injected ; vertebral tissues full of black fluid blood, and medullary substance redder than usual. In one man, who died in an h,, there was found beneath pia mater an escape of blood which covered both hemispheres.

c. Respiratory system : Epiglottis deeply discoloured, with considerable injection of network of veins covering it. From glottis to ultimate ramifications of broncfaiie, mucous membrane is deep red and covered with a thick layer of reddish frothy mucus. Lungs dull and blackish, with numerous small extravasations.

d. Circulatory system : Heart contained much black fluid blood.

e. Digestive apparatus: Papillx at base of tongue turgid and vascular. Velum patati, tonsils, phar^'nx, and ce^ophagus coated with glaiiy mucus and deeply livid. Lining of stomach and intestines scarlet, coated with viscid mucus, under which membrane is strongly injected and looks mammillated, owing to prominence of numerous swollen follicles. Here also were points of extravasation, and black lines along venous trunks. (Bloc, UArt Medicaid March, 1874.)

III. Experiments on animals. — i. Five decigrammes of the resin were given, suspended in a mucilage of gum arabic, to an adult, well-conditioned rabbit. At first it suffered depression and sadness, refusing its food ; soon after, some convulsions in forelegs and muscles of head and face, posterior extremities refused their support. This state continued 20 h., after which the animal gradually recovered. (Bloc, op. cit.)

1. Six decigrammes of the resin were diffused through a yolk of egg and slightly diluted with a little hot water ; a fulKgrown small dog was made to swallow it. He at first exhibited the same depression and sadness as the rabbit, whilst the weakness of tne extremities was still greater. Respiration short ; the tongue hanging out and extremely dry ; anxiety insupportable. The oesophagus was not tied lest it should occasion death. There was no possibility of stopping vomitings, which were glairy, reddish, and slightly bloody, and no doubt carried the poi^on out. They were accompanied by fetid liquid stools and an abundant discharge of urine. After these evacuations, and even during them, the animal suffered ccmvulsions and extiemely violent spasms in anterior extremities, tail, and face. Gradually these sufferings abated. He took no food for 45 h., and then slowly recovered. (Jbid.)

2. An adult strong rabbit, who swallowed 3 oz. of distilled water in which a quantity of the root was steeped, with the addition of a good deal of the essential oil, did not experience the least inconvenience. All the experiments seems to prove that the resin alone is pol-^onons and the other parts of the plant very little so. {IbidS^

3. Sixty centigrammes of resin were mixed up with some minced meat, of which three boluses were made. One was administered to an adult dog of middle size by force, as the smell of the resin made him shrink back. In ao m. he began to be restlei^s, and he kept turning round upon himself, seeking for a comfortable poution 5 2 or 3 m. after he had nausea without vomiting. They gave him a second and then a third; the phenomena then became chaiacteristlc. At first growling, with increase<l anxiety ; by degrees posterior extremities do not move m accord with anterior; at last he could not support himself. In 5 or 6 m. he had bloody stock,

at first containing othfr matters, then blood only. Nau^a returned more severe, u well as a violent hiccough. Four timet he vomited white matters tinged with yellow and coated with bloody slime. The muurles of the face are contracted, with incessant anxiet)-. Trismus prevents the exhibition of an emetic ; the vomiting and stools become more frequent. He tries to walk, knocks himself about everywhere, and does not seem to know where he is going. He falls back, is seized with violent contractions, and dies in 35 m. after the poison. No pott-mortem, {Ibid.')

1. Forty centigrammes of the alcoholic extract diluted with a little water were given to a pretty strong rabbit. He suffered from depreision, and refused food;i| convulsions cnuied, hlna legs became vi*ibly weaker i muscles of the head and face contracted ; thi» state continued from 9 to 11 h. and then he recovered. (/AiV.)

2. a. July lath, 6 a.m., t introduced Into the mouth of an adult dog, in good health and fasting since previous, e., a teaspoonful of fresh juice. At once he madeJ efforts to vomit, and uttered hoarse cries. He is much agitated, runs, and attempts to vomit, but in vain j foams at the mouth, and threatens to bite ; often goes to drink, and seems relieved ^ro tern. About 9 a.m., after incredible efforts, he vomited all the liquid he had swallowed, refused broth, and slept calmly. On awaking ate a httic, and drank eagerly and often. Gums, mouth, tongue, and pharynx are red and injected, with red patches at edge of velum pendulum and columns. CJrine scanty, no stool, abdomen slightly distended , was left to rest all d., and fell asleep; plaintive barking at short intervals, trismas but Httlc marked. At 8 p.m. he awoke, whined, and tried Co vomit, changed his place continually, and rejected, with violent hiccoughs, food mixed with bile, smelling remarkably acid. Next d. one diarrhceic stool. At n. he seemed better. I mixed a tablespoonful of fresh juice with aoo grammes of broth, which he took without repugnance. But he was almost immediately seized with retching, and rejected the ingesta ; went to drink as yesterday and lay down. At noon yawning and three diarrhoeic very fetid Ktools. Next d. at 8.30 a.m. I was much surprised lo find the animal, who seemed doing well overnight, with a death-rattle, after very fetid green stools; his eyes were stiff and glassy j sktn dry, with an eruption or rather venous red spots on back and flank; jaws set fast ; heart beating tumultuousty and irregularly. He was nearly motionless, so I despatched him by cutting the jugular, and proceeded immediately to the pctl-martem.

h. Mdominal ca-vity. — Acute peritonitis, arbore&cent injection on intestines, which are tympanitic and empty, especially the large \ ascending and transverse^ portions much injected, with large reddish-brown spots on their surface, indicatini incipient gangrene. Mucous membrane of caecum partly detached; ileum muci injected, jejunum less so; duodenum only inflamed at pylorus; surface of the stomach little injected. Stomacfi. — At opening bright red, with injection over whole^ of large cul-de-sac; mucous membrane bloated; lesser cuUdc-sac less injected, Pyloric orifice choked by an cedcmatous pufF of a bright red j cardiac equally inflamed, and congestion extends to extremity of oesophagus; interior of buccal cavity rctl, with spots such as above named. Spleen a little congested. KUntys congested i nn urine in renal ptivc*. Liver, nothing peculiar, vena portc contains some clots. GaJlJilaJJer, very little bile. Respiratory organs, — Lungs injected, crepi. tating, Hoat well. Trachea normal, some ganglions congeittcd. Larynx, mucous membrane slightly oedematous. Ctrculating tystem. — Hc^n very bulky, r, ventricle contained a very large blood-clot, hbrinoux at upper part, and entangled in tricuspid valve; auricle contains a small blackish clot; numerous clots in pulmonary artery. L. side normal, except a marked violet tint on columns carneae ; slight endopericaniitis. Brain. — Considerable efftision of bloody serosity between brain and dura mater; injection up to edge of anterior lobes. Vieussieux^s centrum ovale pointed. Ventricles, serous effusion abundant. Cerebellum normal, except peduncles, which are injected. Spinal carJ. — Marked injection all the way to cauda equina; at edge of olivK there was some scrosity indicating inflammation. (IhiJ.)

1. A dog above 10 months was poisoned with 30 dr. of the alcoholic tincture ii 100 grammes of distilled water. The 1st d. anxiety, agiration, nausea, bumini thirst. The ind d. 40 graimncsof tincture mixed with broth ; same sjinptoms, witi tottering gait besides ; can no longer run, but drags along ; after this he reels and falls if lorced to walk ; irismus. The 3rd d. the animal is better, and wc let him rest. The 4th d. at 7 a.m., 20 dr. of fresh juice mixed with his bruth. Almost immediately violent shaking of head and limbs ; same nausea and vomiting ; extreme

prostration ; fetid and frequent stools. At 11.30 hedied. A /af/>fflor/Mn took place and nearly the same alterations; were found as in the preceding case. {^Jbui.')