Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Strychnine as an antidote in narcotic poisoning / by G. A. Gibson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![convenient and more thorough than the stomach-pump. If neither syphon nor stomach-pump should happen to be at hand, a tahlespoonful of niustard in half-a-pint of tepid water, or twenty grains of zinc sulphate in a similar quantity of water, may be administered. In suicidal cases however the exhibition of such remedies is as a rule well-nigh impossible, and for these, as weU as many other cases, the hypodermic injection of one- tenth of a grain of hydrochlorate of apomorphine, which may always be kejot ready in the form of tabloids, is necessary. By one or other of these methods the last trace of the drug may be removed from the stomach. If the syphon or stomach-pump has been employed, a pint of strong black coffee should be introduced before it is withdrawn, or, if neither can be used, it may be given by the rectum. The next indication is to kee]D the vital centres in a state of activity, while at the same time doing nothing that can in any way cause exhaustion of any part of the system. Here we have at our command several means of rousing the centres, which may be used in turn according to circumstances. It is well as a rule to keep the patient awake by asking questions or issuing commands in a loud voice. If this is not enough the same end may be attained by tapping the forehead with the tips of the fingers, pinching the arms and legs, or pricking the skin slightly with a needle. If these are not sufficient to prevent the appear- ance of sleep the cold douche may be used ; but in my opinion the employment of cold is as far as ]Dossible to be avoided. A far more efficient mode of rousing the patient is to be found in the apiilication of mustard leaves to the calves, and in the use of the interrupted or induced current, as by such means powerful stimuli may be administered without the possibility of aiding the depressing effects of the poison. One method of keeping the patient awake must emphatically be condemned, namely that of making him walk about, as is still to be found recommended in some of the text-books. This method used to be in vogue at some of the hospitals of my ac- quaintance, and was carried out by means of relays of policemen specia y told off for the duty. The patient Avas marched round e waiting room between two of them, and was followed by the ent physician or clerk in charge of the case, Avhose rdlc was D D 2](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21977884_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
