Nicotinum.
Nicotine. An alkaloid from Nicotiana tabacum. C10H14N2. Solutions in distilled water or alcohol.
Clinical.─
Aura of epilepsy. Brain-fag. Collapse.
Epilepsy. Seasickness. Spasms. Tetanus. Tobacco, effects of.
Characteristics.─
Nicotin.
has had a very heroic proving by Falk, Wochenfeld, Wertheim, Schroff, and Reil. Very violent
tonic and clonic spasms were produced; indistinctness of senses; loss of consciousness. Peculiar symptoms and sensations
were: Great sensitiveness of eye to light, along with indistinct vision. Aura in upper jaw.
As though a sharp brush had been drawn through śsophagus to stomach. Disagreeable sensation
extending upwards and downwards from stomach. Emptiness and faintness in stomach. Coldness
extends from tips of fingers and toes over trunk; and
warmth streams into them from the stomach. Jerking respiration.
Relations.─
Antidotes:
See under Tabac. Compare: Tabac., Digit., Lobel.,
Śnanth., Absinth.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Delirium with frightful visions.─Inability
to think or fix attention on any subject.
2. Head.─
Vertigo and headache.─Dulness
of head, heaviness, dizziness, stupefaction.─Head drawn back with
rigidity of muscles of neck and back.
3. Eyes.─
Eyelids feel too heavy.─Lachrymation.─Pupils
dilated.─Indistinct vision with sensitiveness of eye to light.
4. Ears.─
Indistinct hearing; sensation as if ears
filled with cotton.
5. Nose.─
Expired air had odour of alcohol (to
provers and others).
6. Face.─
Face pale, features drawn.─Sensation
of an aura in upper jaw.
8. Mouth.─
Sharp burning sensation in tongue.─Increased
saliva.─Scraping, burning taste, esp. low down in throat, causing
hiccough and hawking.
9. Throat.─
Dryness; and scraping in throat.─Sensation
as though a sharp brush drawn through śsophagus to stomach.─Sensation
of dysphagia.
11. Stomach.─
Loss of appetite.─Great
aversion to tobacco and tobacco-smoking (one prover, a smoker, was unable to smoke more than
a few whiffs; the other, a non-smoker, could not approach any one who was smoking).─Eructation
with some vomiting which >.─Hiccough.─Disagreeable
sensation extending from stomach upwards and downwards.─Persistent
sensation of emptiness and faintness in stomach and intestines.
12. Abdomen.─
Abdomen distended.─Disagreeable
sensation through whole intestinal canal.
13. Stool and Anus.─
Excessive desire for stool, > by emission of flatus and urine.─Stool
retarded.
14. Urinary Organs.─
Urgent desire; urine copious;
increased.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Respiration very rapid;
difficult.
18. Chest.─
Oppression: compelling deep breathing;
sensation of foreign body behind sternum.
19. Heart.─
Pulse increased in frequency in direct
proportion to dose.─Pulse and respiration very irregular, sometimes
becoming very rapid, sometimes sinking.─Constant sinking of pulse.
22. Upper Limbs.─
Formication, beginning in tips
of fingers, extending to wrists and afterwards to elbows.
23. Lower Limbs.─
Weakness of lower limbs, esp.
going up stairs.
24. Generalities.─
Peculiar clonic spasms that
gradually increased for forty minutes; extremities began to tremble; the trembling extended
at last over whole body, which became violently shaken; respiratory muscles most affected,
breathing difficult and impeded, every respiratory effort consisting of a series of short
jerks in quick succession; expiration accomplished in same manner as inspiration.─Excitement.─Uneasiness.─So
weak could scarcely hold up head.─Paroxysms of faintness beginning with
a vanishing of senses and ending with loss of consciousness.
25. Skin.─
Skin dry.
26. Sleep.─
Sleepy.─Restless
night; sleepless, hot and excited.
27. Fever.─
Extremities icy cold.─Coldness
beginning in tips of fingers and toes and extending to trunk.─Shaking
chill.─Sensation of warmth commencing in stomach, rapidly extending over
chest and to head, and like a streaming into tips of fingers and toes; not followed by
sweat.─Cold sweat.® 2000
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