STRYCHNOS NUN-VO'M ICA, Medical Properties of. The genus Strychnos, consisting of about twelve species, is remarkable for con taining among these some which possess only mild or beneficent pro perties, while others are endowed with more potent and destructive powers than almost any other members of the vegetable kingdom. This extraordinary difference is presumed to be owing to certain species containing only an extractive, which is tonic and febrifuge, while others contain one, two, or three alkaloids, which are extremely poisonous. This is true as far as the S. A'ux-ewnics., S. lunatic, S. Colubrins, and S. Ties16 are concerned, all of which contain either Stryelatia or Prucia, and some both of these alkaloids ; S. Sancti Ignatii contains an alkaloid called Igasurine [NUX•VOMICA, ALKALOIDS or); but it does not apply to the S. tarifera (Schomburgk), in which no alkaloid has been detected. It must be admitted, however, that the S. tariferu, though equally fatal with the others; produces death in a different way. Those possessed of an alkaloid destroy life by exciting tetanic spasms, while the wourali, or worary, or urari (prepared from the S. toxifera), pro duces diametrically opposite effects, as the muscles of voluntary motion are paralysed by it. The only species strictly officinal is the nux vomica, poison-nut, or ratsbaue, of which the seeds are employed, and to this our attention will be at present confined.
Strychnos Nux-romica is a native of Coromandel, Malabar, Ceylon, and other parts of India, growing in sandy places, and attaining the size of a tree, but short, crooked, and sometimes twelve feet iu circum ference, flowering in the rainy season. The fruit is about the size of a St. Michael's orange, with a bitter astringent pulp, and containing from three to five seeds. The pulp may be eaten, but the seeds are poison ous and officinal ; each seed is flattish or very slightly concave on the side of the umbilicus, convex on the other, thickened at the margin, peltate, about three lines in thickness, and clothed with dense grayish, silky, or velvety hairs, which towards the umbilicus are arranged in concentric circles. The testa or coat is thin, the nucleus white or grayish, hard, horny, or cartilai,sinous, bipartite or divided by a cavity in the centre ; the embryo is near the margin of the seed, and its position is often indicated by a proiuinctit point.
Owing to the hard cartilaginous nature of the seeds, they are extremely difficult to reduce to powder or to slice. Different expe dients are adopted to accomplish this. The entire seed is devoid of odour, but the powder has a peculiar one, somewhat resembling liquorice ; the taste is nauseously bitter. Nux-romiec should never be purchased in the state of powder, as it is frequently adulterated with common salt or even emery-powder.
An oil is expressed from the fresh seeds, which is used for burning.
Nux-romica seems to exert a deleterious influence alike over vege tables and animals ; there is, however, a differcuce of susceptibility to its action in different classes of animals, since a much larger quantity is necessary to destroy herbivorous than carnivorous animals.
The degree of effect varies with the quantity employed, but it seems to be the same in kind, being confined to the ganglionic system of nerves and the spinal cord, extending as high up as the medulla oblongata, and, according to Flourena, influencing even the cerebellum, but certainly not directly affecting the emybrum. Hence in fatal cases the intellect is not disturbed till the extinction of life. The decapita tion of animals does not hinder the characteristic action of inue-rostieu, while, on the other band, the removal of the spinal-marrow corn pletely prevents its peculiar agency, even though artificial respiration be maintained. "From some experiments of Segalas, it appe•rs also to exhaust the irritability of the heart ; for in animals he found that organ could not be stimulated to contract after death, and life could not be prolonged by artificial breathing. Nux-romica differs from all narcotic poisons, by not exhausting the sensibility. During the inter vals of the fits the sensibility is on the contrary heightened, and the faculties acute." (Christison.) Three distinct degrees of action may be observed from the use of nux-rontica. In small doses the ganglionic system appears chiefly to be affected, and this so slightly, that any phenomena are observed only in cases of disease, particularly in hysterical and weak persons. The secretions are increased, both of the intestinal canal, the liver, the kidneys, and of the skin, accompanied with an increase of appetite and improved digestion. Hence, in small doses it is a useful adjunct to aperient and diuretic medicines.