Chenopodium anthelminticum

Volume II — Main text

CHENOPODIUM .

Chenopodium anthelminticum, L. Wormseed. Nat. Ord., Chenopodiacee. II. Poisonings.-1 . Man took about 3ss of the oil. Symptoms were those of a narcotico-acrid poison, affecting brain, spinal system and stomach. He was insensible, convulsed, and foaming at mouth ; but recovered under use of emetics, demulcents, and stimulants. All remembrance of having taken poison was completely wanting on recovery. (SMITH, Pharm. Journ., 1862, p. 330.) 2. A slave child was given one or more 15 dr. doses of oil for worms. She fell

into coma, with deep, heavy, stertorous breathing, accompanied by very peculiar rattle, as if there were a ball rolling loose in trachea; pulse small, feeble and frequent; eyes insensible to light or external objects; convulsive movements of r. half of body; extremities cold; any attempt at deglutition excited instant suffocation. She died in 36 h. from onset of attack. (Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ. , xlv , 173.) 3. Man, æt. 31, took in m. about ziss of oil with 30 dr. of turpentine. There followed disagreeable eructations ; nausea ; staggering like drunken man when walking ; deafness to sound of voice, but exquisite sensibility to sounds of passing vehicles, each as it rolled by sounding like roaring of immense cannons right into ears, in which also there was annoying buzzing. He craved for his usual cigars, but found them disagreeable and soon left them off. No disposition to converse, and some aphasia and agraphia. Symptoms of hearing and speech increased as d. went on; he took wrong place at table ; kept repeating words and actions. Towards close of e. meal, while holding a piece of bread, there was spasm in r. forearm and hand, fingers were firmly clenched and hand strongly flexed. On being taken to bed he made some resistance, commenced to groan, drew himself up, and tossed from side to side of bed, as if from abdominal distress. He soon became unconscious, and r, arm lay paralysed. Next d. there continued impairment of motion and sensation in r. side, with insensibility to touch of r. eyeball. During 3rd d. frequent twitchings and stiffness of r. limbs, culminating in a unilateral convulsion at daylight on 4th d. Urine passed involuntarily unless drawn off. In afternoon the heavy breathing, with flopping cheeks, of apoplexy appeared. There was also more or less constant regurgitation of yellow frothy material from mouth, sometimes so profuse as to embarrass respiration ; this, with perspiration, smelt of wormseed. During one of the attacks of dyspnea, and while in a drenching sweat, which suggested imminence of dissolution, he was gently turned in bed, when a general convulsion with opisthotonos came on, lasting about 2 m. By this time a decided icterus appeared, whichhad beennoticed onlythe d. before. He died about 5 d. from beginning of illness in profound coma, and with high axillary temperature. (BROWN, Maryland Med. Journ . , Nov., 1878.) 4. a. Child, æt. 12, suspected of having worms, was ordered mixture of zj of oil of C. with 3j of turpentine and Ziij of extractum spigeliæ. He took a full teaspoonful at 8 p.m. on May 21st. On 22nd, was found in m. breathing heavily, and was with difficulty aroused. Gait, when he tried to walk, extremely unsteady, and without assistance he would have fallen; was wholly unable to button clothes or perform any ordinary complex movement ; complained of severe frontal headache and loud ringing in ears; deafness very marked; appeared less intelligent than usual ; vision normal. During d. tinnitus and deafness remained, but gait and general co-ordination improved. Slept soundly. On 23rd headache, deafness and tinnitus same; more drowsy; gait weak and shuffling ; much prostrated by mile walk. 24th.-Slept heavily without waking till 6 a.m., when he was found aimlessly wandering about house in nightclothes. Mind now evidently affected; weak, feverish, and very drowsy during d.; has kept scarcely anyfood on stomach since 22nd. 25th.-All previous symptoms aggravated. Remained in bed for first time to-day. 26th . First seen by Dr. N-, at 7 p.m. Found unconscious, and had slept heavily all d. Temp. 100° ; pulse 88, weak, and compressible ; breathing normal ; pupils widely dilated, sluggish to light; had vomited on taking food during d. [ Stu Stupor gave way on e. of 27t 27th to restlessness and hallucinations, but patient had taken gr. xv of bromide of potassium every 3 h. No action of bowels since 24th , in spite of calomel and croton oil. Gradual improvement till 31st, but sleep obtained only by strong hypodermic morphia.) June 1st.-Patient much better ; mind clear; appetite fair; no vomiting for 3 d.; headache decidedly diminished; sits up in bed, and can walk a little; but hearing very little better, and complains as much as ever of ringing in ears. 4th.-Slight improvement in aural symptoms ; no pain in ears at any time, and no change visible on examination. On 5th could just hear watch with 1. ear on contact, with r. ear at in. * A good deal of frontal headache, but no other symptoms save weakness. b. Sister, æt. 10, took same dose at same time. Awakened towards m. by extreme nausea followed by profuse vomiting. Fell asleep, and woke again at 7 a.m.; * Up to the 24th, reporter says, deafness was little changed in either.

still much nauseated. On rising, had same inability to walk and adjust clothing, same deafness, tinnitus and headache as brother ; but never fell into stupor or took to bed. Improved steadily though slowly, deafness and headache being very persistent. Hearing on June 5th in. in l., in r. * c. Two more children in same family received a dose. Girl, æt. 7, took tea. spoonful, vomited soon after, and hadnothing next m. save slight and short-lasting nausea. Boy, æt 4, had half teaspoonful without apparent effect. (NORTH, Am. Journ. of Otology, July, 1880.) [The mixture of turpentine and spigelia with C. in this observation might seem to render it inadmissible ; but (1) the reporter points out that the spigelia must have sunk to the bottom, nor do any of the symptoms belong to it; (2) the dose of turpentine was very small, nor do its effects appear in the narrative; (3 ) the symptoms are in perfect keeping with the three preceding cases, in one of which also (No. 3) turpentine was mixed without appreciable effect. We therefore judge the case to be one of true poisoning by C., and have admitted it accordingly.-EDS. ]