Amygdala Amara

Bitter almond. Rosaceoe.

According to Wohler and Liebig, the hydrocyanic acid formerly supposed to be contained in the almond, is the result of the reaction of water on amygdalin, the characteristic constituent of bitter almonds.

The bitter almond is used for flavoring, and peach kernels and cherry seeds, which have similar properties, are often substituted.

The observations of Jorg, made in 1822, hardly deserving to be called a proving, were published in 1825. Eegarding his trustworthiness, see Brit- ish Quart., XVI, 693. These were added to a collection of symptoms from the Laurocerasus, the Aqua laurocerasi, and Hydrocyanic acid, and printed in Hartlanb's Mat. Med., in 1828.

In 1844 they were printed separately in Noak and Trink's Handbuch, with the addition of some toxic symptoms. Allen's Encyclopedia contains all, and a carefully made, almost complete, collection of poisonings. We ouly miss Gazin, Traite Pratique, 1853. The experiments of Douglas Maclacan are with a different preparation.

^ Mind. I I Loss of consciousness. Stupor.

I 1 Delirium, he mutters to himself and converses with persons not present ; speaks incoherently. .

233 ' AMYGDALA AMARA.

Delirium with face lit up with an expression of excessive joy, ey^es shine brilliantly, with quiet intermittent pulse.

Delirium with slight convulsions.

She commences to cry ; t.

She suddenly raves and looks wildly around her, with fully di- lated pupils and indistinct vision. ^ Sensorium. Dullness of left half of head.

Insensibility.

Drunkenness.

Excitement as after drinking champagne, succeeded by sudden insensibility.

I I Syncope, face deathly pale, nauseated; pulse imperceptible; on reviving vomits some undigested food and bile.

Vertigo with nausea and dimness of sight.

Faintness and pallid look.

Stupor. ^ Inner Head. Heaviness in forehead.

Pressure over eyes.

Sense of weight and oppression on top of head.

Congestion or turgescence of vessels of brain ; t.

General eifusion on both hemispheres ; t.

Dura mater gorged.

* Outer Head. iHead drawn backwards.

* Sight and Eyes. Dimness of sight with vertigo.

Sight confused.

Pupils very much contracted, size of a pinhead.

I I Pupils dilated and fixed.

Eyes rolling from side to side ; half open, with dilated pupils.

Eyeballs directed upward, especially left.

Pupils dilated to their fullest extent, she cannot see distinctly.

Iris immovable.

Eyes almost protruding from their sockets.

I I Excessive brilliancy of the eyes, even after death.

The eye had a I I brilliant and glassy appearance throughout ; mere physical brilliancy, I I without mental expression.

Lid does not move when eye is touched.

Eyelids closed, both eyes drawn to left side.

Eyes half shut and glassy.

Upper lids convulsed for hours. ® Face. Face wears a natural expression, even with serious symp- toms.

I I Face placid and deathly pale.

iMouth tightly closed.

I I Face very livid, lips separated, teeth clenched, eyes fixed and open, pupils dilated, features distorted, eyes turned up- wards, starting from their sockets.

Face lights up with an expression of excessive joy. See 1. ^ Lower Part of Face. Jaws firmly clenched in rigid spasm.

AMYGDALA AMARA. 234

Lips pale and bluish.

Lips separated, teeth clenched, much froth about the mouth. ^^ Taste, Speech, Bitter taste in roof of mouth, palate and fauces.

Cannot speak a loud word. ^^ Palate and Throat. Bitter taste in fauces. Swallowing impeded, or I I impossible. Rattling in throat.

Excessive burning heat in laryngo-pharyngeal region. ^® Hiccough, Nausea and Vomiting. Hiccough. Nausea with pallor.

I I Vomiting of undigested food and bile. ^^ Scrobiculum and Stomach. A disagreeable sensation seems to come from the epigastric region. Pain and heat in epigastrium without tenderness. Gastric mucous membrane red, I I congested, especially at car- diac end ; t. Gastric mucous membrane pale, with some red petechial patches

along greater curvature ; t. Mucous coat of stomach softened ; t. ^^ Abdomen. Colicky pains, abdomen distended like a balloon ; convulsive movements of the jaws, loss of consciousness, froth- ing at the mouth. ^^ Stool. Involuntary stools and micturition. ^^ Urinary Organs. Scanty and painful urination.

Involuntary micturition and stools. See 37. ^^ Male Sexual Organs. • Gonorrhoea.

Gangrene of the penis ; scrotum bluish and greenish-yellow. ^^ Voice and Larynx. Cannot speak a loud word.

Scratching in larynx, followed by copious phlegm all evening

and next day. Hoarseness. Talking distresses her. ^® Respiration. Difficult breathing.

Snoring breathing getting slower and slower.

Panting. See 28.

Chest heaved spasmodically ; its movements were hurried.

Respiration slow and gentle.

Regular respiration had ceased ; chest expanded at intervals by

convulsive action. Rolling and panting for breath. Hurried and convulsive heaving of the chest. Chest expands convulsively at short intervals. Respiration 12, regular, slow and prolonged, with rattling in

I I Convulsive and at intervals very short respiration, I with fear of suffocation. ^"^ Cough. I Cough with soreness of chest extending down to stomach.

235 AMYGDALA AMARA.

^* Inner Chest and Lungs. Great soreness of the chest extend- ing to the stomach.

Stitches under the left nipple, going deep in, making exhala- tion more difficult.

I 1 Lungs congested. ^^ Heart, Pulse and Circulation. iSlow, full, hard pulse.

iPulse almost imperceptible.

Absence of radial pulse on either side.

Heart beats feebly.

Carotids beat full and quick. See 31.

Heart's palpitation extremely feeble, scarcely perceptible, ab- sence of radial pulse.

Pulse : slow and vibrating ; strong or frequent and wiry ; rapid and feeble ; quick and intermittent ; 30, very feeble in caro- tid and radial arteries ; 100, 130, 140, very small, thready.

Right side of heart gorged with dark fluid blood. ^^ Neck. Considerable swelling and undulatory motion of jugular veins.

Formication, staggering gait. ^* Limbs in General. Limbs completely lax, fall lifeless when lifted.

Limbs cold, heavy.

Extremities almost bloodless.

Spasms of limbs.

Weakness of the limbs.

I I Limbs relaxed, I feet lifeless when lifted.

Limbs numbed, arms and hands cold and livid ; with sleepiness.

Limbs supple and powerless. 36 Jf eryes. Muscular power diminished or entirely lost, he is afraid of falling.

So weak as to fall down, lost control over the muscles.

Spasms of limbs.

Convulsions ; head drawn back ; trismus, knees drawn up ; scanty urine ; opisthotonos.

Strong convulsive twitches of muscles.

Almost complete loss of motive power ; cannot stand, limbs as if lifeless ; or staggering gait.

Convulsions : eyes open, staring, fixed pupils, or with jactita- tion of arms.

Violent tetanic convulsions with complete opisthotonos.

Head and neck drawn backwards, elbows drawn behind the back and firmly fixed there.

I I Opisthotonos. ^^ Sleep. Deep snoring sleep.

Yawning.

AMYGDALA AMARA. 236

Drowsiness and irresistible tendency to sleep.

Coma with stertorous respiration and involuntary micturition

and stools. *" Fever. Body cold ; surface cold, clammy.

*^ Locality. Left : dullness in head ; eyes drawn to side ; stitches

under nipple. ^^ Sensations. A disagreeable sensation proceeding from scrobic-

on both hemispheres ; dura mater gorged. ^^ Skin. Pallid skin.

Similar to its relatives, especially the Prunece and Pomece of

the Rosaoece, and to Manihot utiL, Chardinia xeranthe-

moides, Ximenia Americana^ Ipomoea dissecta and the Aga-

ricus Oreades, all of which emit Hydr. ac. Also similar to :

Opium (spasms, stertor, slow pulse, stupor, etc.) ; Hyosc.

(weeping, spasms, spasmodic twitching, etc.); Stramon.,

strong coffee, and in bad cases cold water may be poured over

the head.

237 AMYLENUM NITROSUM.