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hours. Twenty-four hours after poisoning was admitted to hospital, semi-conscious. Entered ward supported on each side and dragging legs after him. Placed on a chair he went to sleep, head on left shoulder, arms hanging by side. Extremities cold, general free sweating. Could be roused with difficulty when he muttered something unintelligible. No spasm. Pupils dilated and sluggish, resp. 14, not full. Twelve hours after admission skin warm, freely sweating; temperature normal. Continuous sleep; could be easily roused. Drank greedily. Tongue dry and coated. Next day quite conscious; great thirst; swimming in head. Urine sp. gr. 1030, scanty, albuminous. Pulse throughout 80, good. Next day well; urine free from albumen (Carter, Lancet, February 18th, 1882, p. 271).

Poisoning by Aconite.-On 18th July, 1876, about 10.45 p.m., a lady, æt. 24, having a pain in her back, went to a cupboard for lumbago drops, but took by mistake thirty drops of Tinct. of Aconite (B. P.) and went to bed. In ten minutes tingling in hands and fingers, which felt drawn up, then same sensations in lips, tongue, and cheeks, which also felt drawn up, accompanied by numbness. Soon tingling and numbness in feet and legs. An hour after taking drug felt queer all over, and as if bedclothes were a dreadful weight, and felt chilled all over, but breathed all right. Felt as if losing senses at times, at others was quite clear. Did not perspire. Gradually was so uncomfortable she got up, but immediately felt inclined to lie down on floor. Feeling starved, wanted to get by kitchen fire. Arrived at bottom of stairs fell down insensible. When found very soon afterwards was icy cold, no circulation perceptible (to her sister). Head was thrown back, muscles of neck strongly contracted. Hands and arms fixed in front of chest, face deadly pale, lips blue, dark under eyes, lids half open, eyeballs twitched. This lasted ten minutes, when she recovered and was quite restored. Was laid down on floor and became again unconscious, just as before. Recovered in a few minutes; an emetic of salt and water given caused free vomiting. When seen at 1 a.m. was deadly pale, not cold; pulse very quick and irregular, and very intermittent; respiration unaffected; quite conscious. Pupils rather large, not dilated. Complained of extreme weakness and of tingling and numbness of hands, feet, legs, tongue, face, lips. Seemed almost moribund. Pulse sometimes imperceptible.

After another emetic got animal charcoal and brandy. In an hour distinct amendment. Went to sleep on floor at 3.30 a.m., pulse still being irregular and intermittent. In morning was quite well except a little tingling and weakness. (Hardman, Lancet, January 7th, 1882, p. 37.)

Physiological Effects of Santonine.-Dr. Eubulus Williams sends the following statement by a patient :-Doctor ordered five drops 4. On inquiring for this the chemist said there was no o in solution. That which was o in other things was in this a crystallised powder, and he asked if I would have that. The reply was "No," as it was not what was ordered. On his saying there was nothing else in that strength, I said it was the doctor who ordered it, and he said again there was no such thing, and he asked me again if I would have that. After some consideration, I said I suppose I had better. While he was putting it up he asked if it were for worms, and the reply being in the affirmative, he said "Then I suppose it's all right."

Nothing further was said, and there was no mark that it was of a poisonous character.

The order having been to take five drops ø, and knowing that two drops were equivalent to about the size of a pea in trituration, I took of this nearly half a teaspoonful, and afterwards thinking I might not have taken enough, took some more about the size of a pea. This was about 4.30. Shortly afterwards I walked home about a mile, and soon after getting home observed that the fire seemed burning a curious red colour, and that the light outside appeared of a peculiar yellow colour. I had tea and afterwards felt squeamish, and took two pilules of Bryonia; feeling no better, took two more, which gave relief. Went to attend a meeting at 7 o'clock, about a quarter of a mile off; observed on going out the yellow character of the light, and that there were no clouds to cause it. Curious colours appeared on some people's clothes; and after walking a short distance felt inclination to faint, and turned round to return home, but thinking it would pass went on to the meeting. Trembled a good deal, and everything seemed so unreal, that after about a quarter of an hour went out, and had difficulty to keep on my feet. The colours now in some people's dresses were most vivid and seemed to shoot up perpendicularly, and I had to quicken my pace to pass them. Bit my tongue, which seemed

stiff and inactive, bit my lips and fingers to keep consciousness, and reached home. I immediately pulled off my boots, for my feet and legs were dead cold, and took some brandy and water, and put my feet close to fire, and rang for hot water. Breathing was very light and at long intervals, and there was no desire to respire, but did so more as a duty. Took some hot brandy and water, and some more again, and remembered the Santonine, and decided to send for or go to the doctor. I decided on the latter, intending to cab it, but walked the whole way, about a mile, and by that time was better. Doctor not being at home, decided to see some one else if not better. Returned home, felt better; feet and legs were now burning hot. Went to bed about eleven, up to which time the gas and the globe round it seemed to be of a decided yellow colour, and it was some hours after retiring until felt comfortable.

If this was a narrow escape it is only one of a large number.

301

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Revision of the Materia Medica. By Dr. HUGHES.*

Ar a meeting of the British Homœopathic Society, held March 2nd, 1882, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

"1. That, in view of the considerations as to the state of our Materia Medica, lately adduced by Drs. Yeldham and Black in this country, and Dr. J. P. Dake in America, the British Homœopathic Society feels that the time has come for its reconstruction, and is prepared to undertake the task.

"2. That, for this purpose, a Committee of seven of its members, including the President and Secretary, be appointed.

"3. That this Committee be instructed to take for the basis of its work the Encyclopædia of Dr. Allen, in the light of the criticisms upon it made by its editor in the North American, and by Dr. Hughes in the British Journal of Homœopathy.

"4. That the translation of Hahnemann's Materia Medica Pura, recently issued with the aid of the Society, be regarded as the first instalment of its work; and that the symptoms furnished thereto by Hahnemann and his fellow-provers be not again presented under the medicines to which they belong.

"5. That the aim of the Committee shall be to expunge all untrustworthy and irrelevant matter, and to present what remains in the most accurate, concise, and intelligible form-all repetitions being avoided, and all provings being given, where possible, in consecutive order, as related by the experimenters."

The Committee appointed in pursuance of these resolutions was desired to furnish specimen medicines for consideration by

* The following paper was contributed to the North American Journal of Homeopathy for February. It is thought that its perusal may interest readers on this side of the water also.

the Society. Aloes and Aconitine have been presented and discussed (the latter appearing as an appendix to the October number of the British Journal of Homœopathy); and the Committee are now at work on the acids employed in our practice. These, when completed, will be printed in the February number of the Annals of the Society, a special copy of which will be sent to every editor of a journal and every teacher of Materia Medica throughout the homœopathic world, with a view of eliciting their opinions on the plan adopted.

I have thought that a few words in the leading organ of our system in the United States might conduce to a better understanding of our aims and methods; and have therefore asked the favour of the insertion of the following remarks.

In the preface to his Reine Arzneimittellehre, Hahnemann defines what the Materia Medica of Homœopathy must be: "If a work on Materia Medica can reveal the precise qualities of medicines, it must be one from which all mere assumption and empty speculation about the reputed qualities of drugs are excluded, and which only records what medicines express concerning their true mode of action in the symptoms they produce in the human body" (Dudgeon's Transl. I, 3). Whatever remarks, therefore, such a work may contain in prefaces and notesremarks historical, critical, interpretative, applicatory, its body must consist of a series of pathogeneses. Strictly speaking, nothing else is needed; for, given the effects of a substance in health, we have only to apply them to disease on the principle similia similibus, to elicit its medicinal powers.

The great aim of Hahnemann and his school has accordingly been to ascertain and exhibit the pathogenetic effects of drugs. The object is beyond all criticism, and the labour and suffering incurred have been above all praise; and had it not been for two unfortunate circumstances, the task performed would long ago have compelled the admiration of the profession, and might have made homœopathic practice in some measure universal. The features which have ruined it as regards general acceptance, and continue to keep it the property of a small minority alone, are, 1st, the untrustworthiness of much of its material; and, 2nd, the unintelligible manner of its presentation.

1. With the symptoms which Hahnemann and the fellowprovers he gathered around him while at Leipsic have con

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