Symptoms.—Dryness of throat, headache, dilated pupil, dysphagia, loss of muscular power, passing into complete paralysis. Delirium, coma, and convulsions, occasionally.
Post-Mortem Appearances.—Congested brain and lungs; redness of the mucous membrane of the stomach. The stomach and intestines should be examined for fragments of the leaves and fruit, recognized by their microscopical appearances.
Treatment.—Emetics, tannic acid or gallic acid. Diffusible stimulants.
Method of Extraction from the Stomach.—Use Stas-Otto process.
Tests.—The mousy odour. Deepened colour and dense white fumes with nitric acid. Pale red, deepening, with hydrochloric acid.
There are several other umbelliferous plants which are poisonous. The water hemlock (Cicuta virosa) produces symptoms not unlike those of hemlock; it has been mistaken for parsnip and celery. It contains an active principle, cicutoxin, which in some respects is allied to strychnine and picrotoxin. The fool's parsley, or lesser hemlock (Æthusa cynapium), is another member of this group, although doubt has been expressed as to whether it is really poisonous. The water dropwort (Œnanthe crocata) is undoubtedly poisonous, especially to cattle. In man it produces abdominal pain with diarrhœa and vomiting; dilated pupils, slow pulse, and cyanosis; delirium, insensibility, and convulsions. The post-mortem appearances are not characteristic, but the stomach and intestines should be examined for portions of the plant.
Calabar Bean or Physostigma.—The bean of Physostigma venenosum contains the alkaloid physostigmine or eserine, with the antagonistic alkaloid calabarine.
Symptoms.—Vomiting, giddiness, irregular cardiac action, contraction of the pupils, paralysis of lower extremities, and death from asphyxia.
Treatment.—Emetics; hypodermic injection of 1/50 grain sulphate of atropine, repeated if necessary.
Method of Extraction from the Stomach.—Use Stas-Otto process.