A CASE OF STRAMONIUM POISONING

Abstract

M. R., a strong healthy boy, aged 7 years, died suddenly Nov. 29, 1914. Part of the stomach contents, consisting of 130.5 gm. of poorly masticated food, mostly vegetables, was submitted to me for examination. About twenty small kidney-shaped seeds about 2 mm. long and 2.5 mm. wide, of a brown color, were found unbroken in the food. From the stomach contents which contained broken seeds, 2.2 mg. of an alkaloid were extracted which gave a purple violet with Vitali's test. A drop of a solution containing about 1/200 grain in 1 c.c., was dropped into the right eye of a cat and compared in a half hour with the left eye, when a marked dilatation was noted. An amorphous precipitate was obtained with hydrobromic acid saturated with bromin. The precipitate became crystalline after standing, was insoluble in acetic acid and only sparingly soluble in hydrochloric acid. From the foregoing