Laburnum

Cytisus Laburnum, Linn.

Natural order , Leguminosæ.

Common name (German), Gold-regens.

Preparation , Tincture of the bark (which contains the largest proportion of the active principles).

Authorities.

1 , Dr. Bonney, Lancet, 1841 (poisoning of children by seeds), W. D. ate one seed; 2 , M. E., aged 9, ate one seed, ibid.; 3 , T. B., aged 9, four seeds, ibid.; 4 , W. B., aged 8, four seeds; 5 , T. G., aged 6, five seeds, ibid.; 6 , R. T., aged 9, one seed, ibid.; 7 , J. M., aged 9, five seeds, ibid.; 8 , J. E., aged 8, one seed, ibid.; 9 , E. L., aged 7, one seed; 10 , T. S. Gray, general physiological action, Edin. Med. Jour., 7, 1029; 11 , Christison, effects of eating broth which contained a piece of bark one or two inches square, Am. Jour. Med. Sci., 1844, p. 236; 12 , Lilienfeld, poisoning of four boys by seeds, Prag. Viertlj., 1847; 13 , North, poisoning of child by the flowers, London Med. Gaz., 1848; 14 , Hinckeldeyer, Husemann and Wiggers, Jhb., 1873, fatal poisoning of two children; 15 , Sedgwick, poisoning of boy by the root, Med. Times and Gaz., 1857; 16 , same, in a girl; 17 , Usher, poisoning of two boys by seeds, Med. Times and Gaz., 1862, p. 293; 18 , Hair, poisoning of children by pods and seeds, Br. and For. Med.-Chir. Rev., Oct. 1869; 19 , Wheelhouse, fatal tox. of child, aged 5, by seeds and pods, Br. Med. Jour., Jan. 1870; 20 , Tinley, poisoning of girl by holding a twig in her mouth several hours (not swallowing any), Lancet, Aug. 1870; , Lesage-pichou, poisoning of six persons by eating the flowers, Rev. Thér. Du Midi, 1859 (S. J., 103, p. 306)

22 , Wilson, poisoning of child by seeds, Lancet, 1871; 23 , Dr. K. poisoning of child by pods, N. Z. f. H. Kl., 16, p. 32; 24 , Aitken, poisoning of girl, aged 5, by pods, Br. Med. Jour., Oct. 1875: 25 , Clonet, poisoning of family by eating fritters flavored with flowers (twigs not used), Le Mouvement Méd., 1875 (New Remedies (Wood), vol. 4, p. 355); 26 , Porter, poisoning of child, aged 3, by eating flowers, Med. Press and Circular (New Remedies, 4, p. 356); 27 , Sabarth, poisoning of a girl by seeds, Schmidt's Jahrb., 172, p. 15.

MIND

• Emotional.
• Small doses of the decoction produce at first a little excitement, 10.
• No anxiety manifested in any way, but a remarkable amount of indifference to all around (one case), 18.
• Intellectual.
• When spoken to, he seemed stupid and unconcerned; when roused by a shake, and when asked a question, he would answer by a nod or shake of the head (one case), 18.
• Stupefaction, 12.

HEAD

• Vertigo.
• Constant vertigo, even while lying down; if she attempted to sit upright, she immediately fell back again, 20.
• Greater number said to be giddy, some wheeling perfectly round several times before and during the times of vomiting, 18.
• Giddiness prevented him from walking, but he could sit upright (after one hour and a quarter), 15.
• Great giddiness (after one hour and a half), 16.
• General Head.
• The head rigidly thrown back (after three hours), 25. [10.]
• Head hot, 12.
• Headache, 19, 23.

EYE

• Dull, lustreless eyes (after one hour and a half), 15.
• Eyes dull and surrounded by a livid zone (after one hour an a half), 16.
• Eyes sunken (one case), 18.
• Lids.
• Eyelids only half open, 12.
• Eyes mostly closed, 27.
• Pupils.
• Pupils dilated, 12, 18, 23, 27.
• Pupils dilated in all cases, considerably in some, not so much in others, 18.
• Pupils much dilated, but acting readily in strong light (one case), 18. [20.]
• Great dilatation of pupils, 2, 22.
• Pupil slightly contracted, 24.
• Sluggish pupils, 1, 3.

FACE

• Expression anxious, 20.
• Languid, and very pale countenance (after one hour and a half), 15.
• Pallid, 24.
• Pale countenance, 11, 12.
• Pale and heavy, 9.
• Face pale, cold, and of dull expression (one case), 18.
• Face pale and expressive of severe pain, augmented from time to time by a succession of spasmodic muscular contractions, after the fever, 25. [30.]
• Face pale and deathlike (after one hour and a half), 16.
• Pale and nauseated, 5.
• Pale and nauseated, with pulse scarcely perceptible at the wrist, 1.
• Very pale, 4.
• Face deathly pale, with blue hips, 27.
• Twitching of the muscles of the face, with efforts at vomiting, 13.
• Muscular twitchings about the face and neck (after half or three-quarters of an hour), 17.
• Lips blue, 12.

MOUTH

• Tongue.
• Tongue white, 20.
• Tongue clean and moist (after one hour and a half), 16. [40.]
• Pale, glazed tongue, 11.
• Tongue dry, glazed, and red, 19.
• General Mouth.
• Mouth dry, 12.
• Dryness of mouth and throat, 19.
• Mouth and lips parched, 19.
• Speech very indistinct, 12.

THROAT

• Burning in the throat, with great thirst, 12.

STOMACH

• Appetite.
• Impaired appetite, 11.
• Thirst.
• Excessive thirst, 20.
• Greedily thirsty, and grasped at liquids with avidity, seizing the vessel with both hands and draining it, 19.
• Nausea and Vomiting. [50.]
• Nausea, 23.
• Constant nausea and eructations, 20.
• Vomiting, 8, 14, 15.
• Vomiting; the vomited matter mixed with half-masticated pods and seeds of the Laburnum, 24.
• Vomiting, vertigo, and cold sweats, preceded by slight feeling of malaise, and followed by high fever (after fifteen minutes), (in three ladies), 25.
• Vomiting and purging, 1, 4.
• Vomiting and diarrhœa, 21.
• The child lay quietly in bed, except that every half an hour she was roused up by vomiting, 27.
• One vomited repeatedly during twelve hours, another only two or three times, but in the latter case the other symptoms were more violent, 25.
• Occasional vomiting of a light-brown fluid, in which floated some glutinous and stringy matters, 16 ; (after half an hour), 15. [60.]
• Smart vomiting, 19.
• Attacked by violent vomiting (after five minutes); this continued throughout the evening and night and the next day, with shivering, pain in the stomach and bowels, and great feebleness; vomiting recurred in some degree daily, especially after eating, 11.
• Repeated violent vomiting, 12.
• Vomiting had been profuse for two hours (after three hours), 26.
• Stomach ejected large quantities of watery secretion, 19.
• Nothing remained on the stomach, even water or ice was almost instantly rejected, 19.
• Tried, but was unable to vomit (one case), 18.
• Stomach.

ABDOMEN

• Pain in umbilical region, 20.
• Abdomen distended tympanitic, very sensitive to pressure, 12.
• Flatulent distension of the belly, 11.
• Abdomen flaccid and somewhat painful in hypogastric region (after one hour and a half), 16.
• Pain in the abdomen increased by pressure, 11.
• Colic, 23, 27.
• Felt his belly sore, but had no marked sickness (one case), 18.

STOOL

• Diarrhœa.
• Diarrhœa, followed by cessation of convulsions, 22. [80.]
• Bloody diarrhœa, 23.
• Diarrhœa, with tenesmus and slightly sanguinolent stools, 11.
• Purging on the morning of the second day; continued to recur in some degree daily, 11.
• Purged considerably, 7.
• Smart purging, 19.
• Constantly purged (after half or three-quarters of an hour), 17.
• Never vomited at all, but was very much purged (one case), 18.
• Watery fluid, with feculent odor, constantly drained involuntarily from the bowels, 19.
• In the crude form it colors the stools, giving them either a green, clay, or dark appearance, 10.
• Constipation.
• The bowels almost always become constipated, 10.

URINARY ORGANS. [90.]

• If we measure the quantity of urine passed daily before the administration of the drug, and again after we administer it, we shall find in the latter case that the quantity in increased, usually to the extent of a few ounces; in some cases we shall find scarcely any perceptible increase, 10.

RESPIRATORY ORGANS

• Breathing stertorous (after three hours), 26.
• Breath-sounds clear (one case), 18.
• Respiration accelerated after the fever, 25.
• Hurried and labored respiration, 11.
• Breathing occasionally hurried and deep (one case), 18.
• Breathing slow; expiration very markedly prolonged, 19.

HEART AND PULSE

• Heart's action rapid and tremulous (one case), 18.
• Excitable pulse, with disordered circulation, 11.
• Pulse rapid, 130 (one case), 18. [100.]
• Pulse weak and rapid, 3, 5.
• Pulse soft, feeble, and rapid, 19.
• Pulse alarmingly weak and frequent (after half or three-quarters of an hour), 17.
• There is a slight increase of the pulse, and the respiratory movements are also a little accelerated; this effect is transitory, and the pulse soon falls to a little below the normal standard; these symptoms are succeeded by languor and tendency to sleep, 10.
• Pulse, in all but two cases, over 100, 18.
• Pulse 120, small (one case), 18.
• Pulse 100, moderately full, 20.
• Pulse 95, very small and feeble (after one hour and a half), 16.
• Pulse 85, small, 22.
• Pulse small, 12. [110.]
• Low and feeble pulse, 24.
• Pulse weak, 2, 4, 6.
• Pulse scarcely perceptible at the wrist, 1.
• Pulse imperceptible (after three hours), 26.

EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL

• Jerking and trembling of the limbs, 12.
• Extremities weak and cold, 27.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

• Some had a peculiar twitching in their walk, 18.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

• Objective.
• Convulsions, 14, 22.
• Transitory languor and somnolence, but this soon passed off, leaving marked insomnia, which lasted through the night (after nine hours), 26.
• Very weak (after one hour and a quarter): quite prostrate (after one hour and a half), 15. [120.]
• Great debility, 11.
• Exhaustion, 24.
• Prostration, 19.
• Great prostration of strength (after one hour), 16.
• Complete collapse, with great restlessness, with perfect consciousness, 23.
• In an almost dying state (after three hours), 26.
• Extreme, intractable restlessness, ending in incessant and almost frantic jactitation, 19.
• Subjective.
• Felt faint and giddy (after one hour and a half), 15.
• Slight feeling of malaise, followed by vomiting, vertigo, and cold sweats, succeeded by high fever (after fifteen minutes), (in three ladies), 25.
• All the symptoms appeared in five out of the seven persons who had partaken of the fritters, but in various degrees of intensity; in the case of a vigorous man the symptoms did not supervene until two hours after the repast; in the case of a servant who had eaten the fritters cold, the symptoms did not appear for ten hours, 25.

SLEEP

• Sleepiness. [130.]
• Sleepiness, 22.
• Remarkably sleepy, 17.
• When not disturbed, inclined to doze (one case), 18.
• Drowsiness, 1, 2.
• Considerable drowsiness (after one hour and a half), 16.
• Transitory somnolence and languor, but this soon passed off, leaving marked insomnia, which lasted through the night (after nine hours), 25.
• Sleeplessness.
• Intervals of restlessness and tossing from point to point in the bed alternated with others of heavy drowsiness, 19.

FEVER

• Chilliness.
• Surface of body pale, remarkably cold, almost marble-like, 19.
• Surface of body continued pale and cold, and yet there was remarkable impatience of even the slightest covering, 19.
• Cold skin (after one hour and a half), 15. [140.]
• Skin especially of extremities, cold, 22.
• Skin very cold and clammy (after one hour and a half), 16.
• Body cold (after three hours), 26.
• Very cold, 17.
• Every now and then severe rigors shook his frame (after half or three-quarters of an hour), 17.
• Extremities cold, 12 ; (one case), 18.
• Sweat.
• Skin covered with clammy perspiration (after half or three-quarters of an hour), 17.
• Cold sweats, vomiting, vertigo, preceded by slight feeling of malaise, and followed by high fever (after fifteen minutes), (in three ladies), 25.

SUPPLEMENT: LABURNUM. Authorities.

28 , Dr. Fischer, Zeit. Pract. Heilk., 1861, p. 408, two boys ate the twigs; 29 , Bull, from the Swedish (S. J., l867, 221), a boy was poisoned by the green twigs; 30 , Dr. Peale, Berlin Klin. Woch., April, 1877, two children, aged three and four years, ate the green pods; 31 , Brit. Med. Journ., 1877 (2), p. 403, poisoning of fifty-eight boys by the root of an old tree.

• Seized with vomiting, pain in the stomach, and collapse. there was no diarrhœa, but tenesmus and erections. After a few hours he passed 300 grams of clear grass-green urine, after which he felt better. The urine soon after passing assumed a natural color, 29.
• After half an hour the youngest child staggered, rolled his head from side to side, closed his eyes. The face was very pale, the lips blue, face and extremities cold. The mother gave the child coffee, after which he vomited and fell asleep. The eider fell sick after half an hour, complained of pain in the head and abdomen, weariness, was unable to walk. After going home he vomited four times, and then fell asleep. After some hours the children were very pale, with very cold skin; small, scarcely perceptible pulse. The next morning they had several movements of the bowels, and felt weak, but otherwise were well, 28. [150.]
• Suddenly attacked with pains in the abdomen and vomiting. They lay with the head sunken upon the chest, with half-closed lids, extremities hanging down relaxed, without any trace of muscular contraction. Skin of the face cold and livid; lips open, mucous membrane dryer than usual; pupils decidedly dilated; mind very much stupefied, especially in the younger, who could scarcely be aroused for a moment by shaking or calling. Pulse of the elder 52, of the younger 55, very small and irregular. Temperature below the normal, in the elder 36.8°, in the younger 36.6°, in the axilla. Respiration superficial. Hands and extremities bluish, like the face, and remarkably cool. Sensibility of the skin diminished. The younger vomited spontaneously several times the remains of the dinner, and afterwards mucus colored with bile, with slightly acid reaction; the elder had only ineffectual retching, and complained incessantly of pains in the epigastric region. After a dose of 1 gram of Ipecac. profuse vomiting occurred. Large doses of port wine were given at intervals of five minutes; the extremities were wrapped in warm cloths and the head in cold compresses, and sleep prevented by shaking and calling, and also by smelling salts; in consequence of this exciting treatment, the younger soon became better; the sopor diminished gradually, the pulse became fuller and more rapid, and the other symptoms disappeared after a quiet sleep, accompanied by copious perspiration. The elder's recovery was not quite so satisfactory; after vomiting, the symptoms of collapse decidedly increased; she complained of more pain than before, and only after an hour did the pulse become perceptible, and remained slow for many hours, 30.
• In a very short time they were affected with symptoms of narcotic poisoning, varying in severity from simple sleepiness to complete stupor. Two boys were much worse than the rest; they, after freely vomiting, were insensible, and showed very arrange waving motions of the arms to and fro; whilst now and then the legs, first one, then the other, were convulsively drawn up; there was also in one of the two, slight frothing of the mouth, and the pupils of each were , .