ANTIDOTE FOR STRYCHNINE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3081, 12 May 1881, Page 4

ANTIDOTE FOR STRYCHNINE.

Discussion has been carried on in tho South Australian Register, respecting a successful antidote to be administered to those who have takan poisonous doses of strychnine. Mr J. W. Heathcofce writes: — *' Strychnine is very variable in its action ; sometimes it takes life in a very short time, at other times it causes a lingering death. I will give my experience in treatment of cases of poisoning by strychnine, premising that it relates to dogs only. Many years ago I read in some serial a short paragraph to the effect that according to tho pharmacopoeia iodine was a specific in eases of poisoning by strychnine. The next I sent an order for strychnine to the cr emist—who did a large trade in that article—l mentioned to him what I had seen, thinking he would know 'all about j:t, and be able to give me all information as to what size of dose, etc. He replied he could not find it in the pharmacopoeia; and so the affair remained for years, until a favorite and valuable dog of mine was poisoned. He was so far gone that from long experience I knew it was useless to try any remedies, and told the blacks to kill it; but it being a favorite of theirs they begged cator oil, tobacco, salt, etc., and I left them dosing in the usual bush fashion. After the lapse of some time I returned, and found the dog slowly dying. It was rigid, unable to rise. Tetanus, with very little intermission, had set in ; in fact it was nearly dead. I then remembered the iodine remedy, and gave the dog a tablespoonful, of which perhaps a desert spoon ful was actvially swallowed. In less than an hour he was able to walk away ; next day he had quite recovered. After that I always used it, giving a dessert spoonful. So powerful and quick is its action that I was never afterwards afraid of having a dog poisoned by strychnine if discovered before it had lost the power of swallowing. One dog was poisoned four times, and was cured each time, The pharmacoprea spoke of iodine as an antidote to strychnine, when taken by human beings. If it acts upon as efficiently as it does upon dogs the loss of life from this source should be very rare indeed. No case should be despaired of unless the patient is unable to swallow. This may be old news to the members of the medical profession, but it may be new to many of the public, especially those living in the pastoral districts. In the hope that the doctors or chemists may still further elucidate the matter and inform the public the proper dose to take in cases of emergency, and me in what pharaaoopcoa (I think it must be either in America or some foreign one) it is to be found."