Gamboge (Cambogia). — Symptoms. — ^Violent vomiting, se- vere pain in the stomach and excessive purging, followed by great prostration of strength. Treatment. — Carbonate of potash should be given as fol- lows: Carbonate of potash, 20 grains; mucilage, or solution of gum, 1-2 ounce; water to make up i ounce. Mix, and take every hour until the purging has stopped. When this is the case, and the poison is supposed to have been evacuated, give the following every half hour: Tincture of opium, 10 drops; water, i ounce. Mix. Gamboge is a gum resin obtained from the Garcinia Morella, a native of Spain. It is but little used in legitimate medicine, on account of its violent and uncertain action. Quack pills contain it in very variable quantities. Hellebores, the. — The Green Hellebore {Helleborus viridi). The White Hellebore ( Veratrum album). The Black Hellebore, or Christmas rose {Helleborus niger). The Foetid Hellebore (Helleborus Fcetida). All of these are powerful poisons, the white hellebore especially so. Symptoms. — Vomiting, purging, giddiness, dilation of the pupils, convulsions, insensibility, great heat of the throat, and tightness, with severe pain in the stomach. Treatment. — Vomiting should be excited by large doses of solution of gum, and other mucilaginous fluids, such as milk, white of egg, etc., and injections of the same materials should be thrown up into the bowel. Coffee should then be given freely, and acidulous fluids and camphor-water. The roots and leaves of this plant are both poisonous, the roots especially. Hemlock (Conium Maculatutn). — Symptoms. — This plant attacks the muscular power, and causes paralysis of the limbs, sickness, pain in the head, drowsiness, and sometimes it so aflects the muscles of respiration as to cause death. Treatment. — The stomach should be evacuated by some powerful emetic, such as the following: Sulphate of zinc, 20 grains; dissolved in water, a wineglassful. Or, mustard, i tea- spoonful; common salt, i teaspoonful; water, a tumblerful. After this cold water should be applied to the head. Vinegar and water (see under Deadly Nightshade) should be adminis- tered. The poisonous properties of this plant reside in the MEDICINAL. 399 leaves, which somewhat resemble parsley, for which they have occasionally been mistaken. The seeds and the root are also poisonous. Henbane {Hyoscyamus). — Symptoms. — Vomiting, double vision, dilatation of the pupils, sleepiness, loss of muscular power, a peculiar tremulous motion of the limbs, flushing of the countenance, heat and weight of head, giddiness, fullness of the pulse and general excitement. If the dose has been a large one, the symptoms will be aggravated; there will be loss of speech, delirium, coma, coldness of the surface, and jerkings of the muscles. Treatment. — As soon as possible empty the stomach by emetics, and give acidulous drinks; if, however, the poison has entered the system, purgatives must be given. The seeds are the most poisonous, the leaves next, and the roots last. Indian Hemp (Cannabis Indica). — Haschisch. — Symp- toms.— Much the same as those of opium, but are of a much more pleasant nature to the patient, being associated with delightful dreams and visions. Treatment. — Much the same as in the case of poisoning by opium. Cases of poisoning by this plant are very rarely met with in America. In hot climates, however, it is frequently met with, especially in India.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Gamboge (Cambogia). — Symptoms. — Violent vomiting, severe pain in the stomach and excessive purging, followed by great prostration of strength. Treatment. — Carbonate of potash should be given as follows: Carbonate of potash, 20 grains; mucilage, or solution of gum, 1-2 ounce; water to make up i ounce. Mix, and take every hour until the purging has stopped. When this is the case, and the poison is supposed to have been evacuated, give the following every half hour: Tincture of opium, 10 drops; water, i ounce. Mix. Gamboge is a gum resin obtained from the Garcinia Morella, a native of Spain. It is but little used in legitimate medicine, on account of its violent and uncertain action. Quack pills contain it in very variable quantities. Hellebores, the. — The Green Hellebore {Helleborus viridi). The White Hellebore ( Veratrum album). The Black Hellebore, or Christmas rose {Helleborus niger). The Foetid Hellebore (Helleborus Fcetida). All of these are powerful poisons, the white hellebore especially so. Symptoms. — Vomiting, purging, giddiness, dilation of the pupils, convulsions, insensibility, great heat of the throat, and tightness, with severe pain in the stomach. Treatment. — Vomiting should be excited by large doses of solution of gum, and other mucilaginous fluids, such as milk, white of egg, etc., and injections of the same materials should be thrown up into the bowel. Coffee should then be given freely, and acidulous fluids and camphor-water. The roots and leaves of this plant are both poisonous, the roots especially. Hemlock (Conium Maculatutn). — Symptoms. — This plant attacks the muscular power, and causes paralysis of the limbs, sickness, pain in the head, drowsiness, and sometimes it so affects the muscles of respiration as to cause death. Treatment. — The stomach should be evacuated by some powerful emetic, such as the following: Sulphate of zinc, 20 grains; dissolved in water, a wineglassful. Or, mustard, i teaspoonful; common salt, i teaspoonful; water, a tumblerful. After this cold water should be applied to the head. Vinegar and water (see under Deadly Nightshade) should be administered. The poisonous properties of this plant reside in the leaves, which somewhat resemble parsley, for which they have occasionally been mistaken. The seeds and the root are also poisonous. Henbane {Hyoscyamus). — Symptoms. — Vomiting, double vision, dilatation of the pupils, sleepiness, loss of muscular power, a peculiar tremulous motion of the limbs, flushing of the countenance, heat and weight of head, giddiness, fullness of the pulse and general excitement. If the dose has been a large one, the symptoms will be aggravated; there will be loss of speech, delirium, coma, coldness of the surface, and jerkings of the muscles. Treatment. — As soon as possible empty the stomach by emetics, and give acidulous drinks; if, however, the poison has entered the system, purgatives must be given. The seeds are the most poisonous, the leaves next, and the roots last. Indian Hemp (Cannabis Indica). — Haschisch. — Symptoms.— Much the same as those of opium, but are of a much more pleasant nature to the patient, being associated with delightful dreams and visions. Treatment. — Much the same as in the case of poisoning by opium. Cases of poisoning by this plant are very rarely met with in America. In hot climates, however, it is frequently met with, especially in India.

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