Atropinum.
Atropine. An alkaloid of Belladonna. C17 H23 NO3. The effects of the Sulphate of Atropine, the
preparation most in use, are included. Solution.Clinical.─
Blepharospasm. Convulsions. Enuresis.
Epilepsy. Eyes, affections of. Gastric ulcer. Locomotor
ataxy. Mania. Neuralgias. Pancreatitis. Spinal
irritation. Stammering. Tetanus. Vision, disorders of. Wryneck.
Characteristics.─
Atropine,
as the most active principle in Belladonna, produces, as
we should expect, most of the characteristic effects of that drug; but at the same time the
two are not identical. Atrop. produces hyperćsthesia of
the sensory nerves. The most numerous symptoms have been observed in the eyes. All kinds of
illusions of vision. Everything appears large. Motes over everything. I once cured with it a
lady who had an appearance of shadows passing over whatever she looked at. It has shown an
affinity for the pancreas, which relates it to Iod., Kali iod., and Iris. A case
of chronic wryneck, of three years’ standing, was relieved and finally cured within two
weeks by injections of 1/120 into the platysma, the dose being increased up to 1/20th. This
was in old-school practice. It has caused difficulty of speech: frequent stuttering,
especially at words difficult to pronounce; articulation indistinct, rapid and chattering.
Relations.─
It antidotes:
Muscarine and Opium. It is antidoted by: Op. and
Physostigma. Like Bell., it is a right-side medicine.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Frenzied with excitement.─Spectral
illusions; sees insects and crawling things and tries to catch them.─Mania,
tries to escape.─When spoken to often turns his head to wrong side.
2. Head.─
Vertigo on turning head suddenly.─Feeling
as if head were screwed up; walking caused the most severe sticking pains; > towards 11 a.m., and disappeared by evening.─Head
very hot.─Headaches of epileptics.─Sticking pains in
back of skull and over eyes, < every motion and
stepping.─Sticking l. temple on waking, extending into ear and eye; > moving in open air.─Headache, with
flushed face, blindness, and delirium.
3. Eyes.─
Objects appear large, with red halo.─Everything
seems elongated, objects appear in a cloud.─Clouds of flies; motes;
bright spots; stars; flashes.─Figures on carpet appear constantly and
successively to rise in her face.─Diplopia.─Sharp
neuralgic pains in and about eyes.─At 9 p.m. eyelids heavy, difficult to
keep open.
6. Face.─
Face hot and very red.─Deathly
pallor.
8. Mouth.─
Mouth dry.─Tongue
thick; cannot articulate distinctly.─Tongue semi-paralysed.─Speech
slow, embarrassed, stuttering, chattering.
9. Throat.─
Burning caused by coughing.─Dryness.─Dysphagia;
swallowing causes paroxysms of suffocation.─Throat dark red.
11. Stomach.─
Vomiting of food; after hot drinks;
with severe sticking pains in umbilical region.─>
After vomiting.─Region of stomach very sensitive; swelling in pyloric
region.
14. Urinary Organs.─
Frequent micturition.─Involuntary,
but scanty; nocturnal enuresis.─Cutting, drawing pains in l. ovary,
extorting screams, > bending; ovary swollen and
tender during menses.─Epilepsy from ovarian irritation.
19. Heart.─
Failure of action from chloroform and
other cardiac paralyzers.─Accelerated pulse.
20. Back.─
Burning in back under sternum and in
region of stomach.─Spinal irritation, pressure causes pallor, nausea,
belching, and retching.
21. Limbs.─
Numbness; heaviness; paralysis of
limbs.
24. Generalities.─
Hyperćsthesia of some nerves:
ophthalmic, auditory, olfactory, vaginal, spinal, solar-plexus, nerves of uterus and
bladder.─Great desire for open air (faintness).─Very
weak in the open air.─Giddiness and staggering.─> From motion.
26. Sleep.─
Disturbed by gastric pains.─Restless
through night.─Waked by frightful dreams.® 2000
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