Strychninae

Strychnine

Strychnine. Occurs in colorless, transparent, octahedral or prismatic crystals, or as a white crystalline powder, odorless and having an intensely bitter taste. Soluble at 59° Fahr. (15° C.) in 6,700 parts of water and in 110 parts of alcohol. Also soluble in 7 parts of chloroform.

Strychninae Sulphas

Strychnine sulphate. A white salt, in colorless, prismatic crystals, odorless, exceedingly bitter, soluble at 59° Fahr. in 50 parts of water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, and insoluble in ether. Effloresces on exposure to the air, and melts when heated, losing nearly fourteen per cent of its weight of water of crystallization. By a strong heat it is wholly volatilized. Dose, gr. 1/60-gr.1/30.

Brucinum

Brucine. Is not official, but is a constituent of nux-vomica, possessed of distinct physiological actions, similar to, but by no means identical with, strychnine. It is alleged to have analgesic effects when applied locally to the mucous membrane, but this property has not been utilized to any extent in practice.

Antagonists and Incompatibles

The paralyzers, such as woo-rara, conium, tobacco, opium, belladonna, and physostigma, antagonize the actions of strychnine in a part of the sphere of its influence. They do not antagonize its toxic action. Chloral, tobacco, bromide of potassium, ether, and chloroform (inhaled), are its true physiological antagonists.

In cases of poisoning, tannin and the vegetables containing it should be freely administered, for the tannate of strychnine is very insoluble. Emetics, or the stomach-pump, must be used promptly. The tetanic spasms are best controlled by chloral and the inhalation of ether, or by tobacco, or by the bromide of potassium in very large doses ( 3 ij— oz ss). The maintenance of artificial respiration has a decided effect in postponing in animals as in man the lethal action of strychnine.

Strychnine should not be combined with bromides, chlorides, and iodides, in the same solution. Accidents have happened by taking the last portion, which will contain all of the strychnine, precipitated as hydrobromate, hydriodate, etc.

Synergists

Brucine, picrotoxine, thebaine, ergot, and, according to my own experimental investigations, belladonna, electricity, cold, etc., promote the activity of nux-vomica and its alkaloids.