When I saw the U. S. Dispensatory suggested it, I of course felt it my duty to use it, as I could find nowhere anything else mentioned as an antidote. I feel convinced that it was by means of the atropine that I saved three of the five patients. Why do I think so? Because whenever I would administer the remedy the patient rallied, the pulse returned at the wrist, the heart-sounds became stronger, and the respiration increased in strength and fulness. What more conclusive evidence do I want than this to show as to how the agent was acting?
Administration of antidote
When I first saw the patients—twelve hours after the ingestion of the poison—their symptoms were alike, one suffering as much as the other (August 31). I began the use of the alkaloid in the evening of the same day, when I saw the powers of life giving way, the heart failing, and the respiration becoming shallow. It was used in all the cases as follows:
Mrs. B., 1/180, 1/90, 1/90, or 5/180, or 1/36 gr.
Mr. F., 1/180, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, or 7/180 gr.
Mrs. R., 1/180, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, or 7/180 gr.
Thos. R., 1/180, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, or 9/180, or 1/20 gr.
Mrs. F., 1/180, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, 1/90, or 9/180, or 1/20 gr.
In accordance with the above formulæ the drug was administered. I visited the patients at intervals of six or eight hours, and at each visitation they received an injection in the doses above mentioned. From this we see that in all Mrs. B. received gr. 1/36 of atropine; Mr. F. received gr. 7/180 of atropine; Mrs. R. received gr. 7/180 of atropine; Thos R. (fatal) received gr. 1/20 of atropine; Mrs. F. (fatal) received gr. 1/20 of atropine.