***STRYCHNINUM. Strychnia. Strychnine. An alkaloid obtained from several species of Strychnos. C21H22N2O2. Trituration. Solution. (The Liquor Strychniae of B. P. is a solution of the alkaloid in a very weak solution of hydrochloric acid and alcohol, the proportions being: Strychnia gr. iv., diluted hydrochloric acid m vi., rectified spirit 3ii., distilled water 3vi. ***STRYCHNINUM NITRICUM. Nitrate of Strychnine. C21H22N2O2HNO3. Solution. Trituration.***STRYCHNINUM PHOSPHORICUM. Acid Phosphate of Strychnine. C21H22N2O2H3PO42H2O. Solution. Trituration. ***STRYCHNINUM SULPHURICUM. Normal Sulphate of Strychnine. (C21H22N2O2)2H2SO47H2O. Solution. Trituration.***STRYCH. VALERIANIC. Valerianate of Strychnine. C21H22N2O2C5H10O2. Solution. Trituration.
Clinical
Amaurosis. Aorta, pain in. Aphonia. Asthma. *Athetosis. Bladder, paralysis of, pains in. Breasts, pains in. Cough, explosive. Cramps. Diaphragm, spasms of. Emphysema. Enuresis. Exophthalmos. *Eyes, *optic nerve, *sclerosis of (n). Headache. Hemiplegia. Influenza. Joints, stiffness of. Laryngeal crises of locomotor ataxy. Locomotor ataxy. Malar bones, pains in. Neurasthenia (p). Night-blindness. paraplegia. Proctalgia. Rheumatism. Scrotum, abscess of. Spinal irritation (p). Tetanus.
Characteristics
Poisonings innumerable with *Strychnine are on record, the symptoms being convulsions of a tetanic nature, in the fatal cases ending in asphyxia. The spasms are intermittent, and the least touch or movement is sufficient to induce an attack. Lying on the back is the only tolerable position. Here is a case: “Lying on her back, body rigid, jaws set, arms and hands flexed, the thumbs nearly touching across the chest, and the whole muscular system convulsed, with short, jerky spasms, which would continue for about a minute and then remit, the muscles remaining contracted and as hard as wood during the intervals between the paroxysms.” The convulsions generally take the form of opisthotonos, cries, terror, hippocratic countenance, and frothing at the mouth are common occurrences. The *Liquor Strychnine is responsible for many of the poisonings, the powdered crystals, either pure or mixed in pills or rat-poison, for others. *Strychnia itself is very sparingly soluble in cold water (1 in 5760). I have not attempted to distinguish between the different salts of *Strych. An extensive proving of the *Liquor Strych. was made under the supervision of Henry Robinson on two provers, a man and a woman (M. H. R., xii. 252). The man took 900 drops in twenty-three days, the woman 445 drops in fifty-three days. These have furnished the most distinctive symptoms. Extreme nervous excitability, visions of an ugly face, fits of laughing, with light, swimming sensation in the head and giddiness, involuntary, idiotic-like chuckle, confusion of ideas, stupor and weariness _ were some of the mental symptoms. The drowsiness was a well-marked feature and characterized some of the headaches. The headaches were frontal largely, or momentary dartings like electric shocks. A lady to whom I gave *Strych. ph. 3x in five-
drop doses twenty minutes before meals felt at once constriction of the throat, and after each meal violent headache in forehead over the eyes. The choking sensations were a constant feature in provings and poisonings. A patient now under my care suffering from locomotor ataxy has had among other manifestations alarming laryngeal crises with choking attacks. For these Felix Semon had given him subcutaneous injections of *Strychnine, which was exquisitely homoeopathic to the case, and gave marked relief. The direct “tonic” action of *Strych. was shown in one of Robinson’s provers, who had “unusually good appetite, she enjoys her food amazingly.” Gamper, of St. Petersburg (C.D.P.), experimented with *Strych. *nit. on healthy young hospital assistants and found that it increased the amount of gastric juice secreted, the general acidity, and the quantity of free acid in the secretion. It hastened the absorption from the stomach, and strengthened the
mechanical movements. The effects continued some time after the administration was stopped. The action of *Strych. on the rectum and genito-urinary organs was as pronounced as that of *Ignatia and *Nux vomica, the male prover had his left testicle and cord swollen, and an abscess of the scrotum developed and discharged. Meyhoffer (C.D.P.) experimented with *Strych. on himself and two other persons, one of whom was a woman of lymphatic temperament. “It always brought on electric shocks, occurring whenever the prover was touched or whenever any one lightly shook the bed on which he or she was lying. This happened to all, only the woman (lymphatic and feeble) needed a stronger dose.” This prover also had this curious symptom: Any touch on any part of the body causes a voluptuous sensation. Hale mentions the following uses of *Strych. and its salts as observed by him and others: (1) In the tetanic spasms of cerebrospinal meningitis. Strych. 6. (2) Amaurosis from atony of retina. (3) Diplopia, and night-blindness. Facial neuralgia and neuralgic headache, *Stryc. *sul., (and in one case when all other *Strych. preparation had failed, *Strych. *val. cured. (4) Spasms of oesophagus in an hysterical woman, *Strych. (5) Brain exhaustion of women in whom high nervous erethism exists. *Strych val. 2x. (6) Chorea, when the convulsions do not cease during sleep. *Strych. 12, or 30. A suggestion of Cooper that many cases of persistent cough recurring after influenza are met by *Strych. I have found to be correct. The influenza cough has in it a strong spasmodic and asthmatic element, whether dry or not, and this seems to give one point of correspondence. C. W. Lawson (quoted H.W., xxxiv. 134) relates the case of a medical man who took continuously for two years *Liq. *Strych. *Hydrochlor., 5 to 10 minims, thrice daily, with a little *Sal volatile. He was at first benefited, but afterwards experienced a desire to take abnormally deep inspirations, “and he felt that to do so would overcome the inhibitory power over the lung, probably the action of the diaphragm.” One morning, after a dose of *Strych., he was taking such an inspiration, and from that moment experienced the sensations complained of: inability to take a deep breath, fixation of chest walls compelling him to stoop, weakness on exertion, great confusion of thought and memory, occasional clay- coloured feces, usually greater in amount than ordinary. After six months the apex beat descended to the 6th interspace, and headache and drowsiness became marked.He travelled for six months without benefit. All attempts to act on the heart with drugs increased the headache. Lawson then found the heart dilated, wide subcostal angle, chest emphysematous, moving en *masse. After a year of treatment Hyoscyamus tincture, xx. at bedtime, was ordered and proved strikingly beneficial, drowsiness ceased entirely and improvement in all other respects followed. *Peculiar Sensations of *Strych. are: Feeling as if head and face were enlarged. (Hence *Nux and *Strych. are remedies for the after- affects of debauches.) As if an iron cap were on head. Paralysed feeling in left half of head and face. Scalp sore, as if hair had been pulled. As if nerves suddenly pulled out of teeth. As of a lump in throat. As if water dripped off right elbow, at intervals, and off right shoulder. As if chopped in half at waist, at night. The pains and sensations of *Strych. come *suddenly and return at *intervals. Sudden palpitation. Darting, pinching lancinating, fulgurating, electric pains. “Gurgling noise in rectum with electric darts” is a symptom of one prover. Many pains center about the lips and eyes. Pains and chills occur in the occiput and nape and run down whole length of spine. There is much itching of the whole body and “violent itching in roof of mouth,” which should prove a useful symptom. Jerkings, twitchings, and shocks in all parts run throughout the pathogenesis. The sensitiveness is shown in the increased activity of the spinal senses, the dread of touch, shrinking from drafts of air, and in Meyhoffer’s prover touch anywhere excited a voluptuous sensation. *Stiffness is a leading note of *Strych., and Cooper gives “rheumatism with stiff joints” as an indication. The symptoms are worse in morning. worse By touch, noise, motion, exertion, walking. worse After meals. better Lying on back.
Relationships
*Antidoted by: Passiflora. (?) (suggested by hale), Hyoscyamus (drowsiness, respiratory affection), Tobacco, Chloroform., Camph., Aconite have been advised. See also under Nux. Osterwald (*Medorrhinum *Press, January 6, 1901) found inhalation of Oxygen an effective antidote in animals. Black draft (Senna and Epsom Salts) relieved the constipation better than any other aperient. Sul. 30 in globules dry on the tongue brought about a rapid and almost complete relief of all the rectal symptoms of Robinson’s male prover. *Compare: Headache extending from occiput down spine, Pic. ac. Sudden pains, Belladonna, Lycopodium Itching on palate, Gloninum Sensation as if cut in two at waist, Arsenicum Headache with drowsiness, Bruc. Head jerked forwards and backwards, Stramonium Spasm of throat, inability to swallow, Stramonium
