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THE CHINA REVIEW.
a wash for the feet. It is also applied to ulcers of the face, in convulsions of children and in prolapsus ani.
In the official medical records of Hong Kong, the first mention of Datura is made by Mr. Hugh McCallum, in the analytical section of the Colonial Surgeon's annual report for 1882.1 Mr. McCallum, the then Government Analyst, has obligingly placed at our disposal some notes of the investigations made by him which led up to the discovery that a Solanaceous plant and possibly Datura alba was a common stupefying agent amongst the Chinese in Hong Kong. He states, that during the years 1880-1882, cases of alleged drugging were frequently before the courts, and nearly always connected with robbery; the victims being in most cases returned emigrants. An impression seems to have pervaded the minds of the Magistrates and the Police that the complainants were either drunk from alcohol, or that the cases had simply been trumped up by some evil-disposed person for the sake of revenge. In June or July 1882, a Chinese female child was brought late one evening to the Civil Hospital, by the Police, in a narcotised condition. The girl had been stolen, and was found by the Police in a junk about to leave the harbour. When roused, the child was most vicious, and the temper displayed by her pointed to madness. The pupils of both eyes were widely dilated. Left alone the child soon fell asleep, and next morning, beyond displaying great stupidity, was quite well. The pupils were still dilated.
Mr. McCallum then proceeded to examine a bundle of flowers reputed by the Chinese as a stupefying drug, an extract of which acted as a powerful mydriatic, both when administered internally and when applied locally to the eye. Some of the extract was given to a small monkey, and the effects produced by it were similar to those observed in the case of the little girl. The flowers were submitted to the Director of the Botanic Gardens, and identified as those of Datura alba.
Shortly after this, and while the Datura investigation was still being conducted in the Government Laboratory, a second instance of mydriatic poisoning was brought to the notice of the Civil Medical authorities. Mr. McCallum's note of this case runs as follows: A Chinese barber in good health, but old and anemic, soon after the beginning of his evening meal, felt himself getting giddy, and shortly afterwards became unconscious. He was found by the Police next morning still stupid and talking a lot of nonsense.
When brought to the Hospital at 11 a.m., his gait was unsteady; he trembled and looked very foolish. The pupils of both eyes were widely dilated, and he complained of a pain in his throat. Next day he recovered; the pupils were, however, still dilated, and he complained of feeling giddy. In his official report, Mr. McCallum remarks that unfortunately it was impossible to prove what particular plant was used in either of these cases, but no doubt it was a Datura, and most probably the variety known as D. alba.
Since 1882, there have been several cases of poisoning by Datura. We shall, however, only allude to a particular case which came under the notice of one of us, wherein it was conclusively proved that the flowers of Datura alba had been employed.
At about 5 a.m., on the 8th of May 1885, two adult females (Ch.) and an adult male (Ch.) were brought by the Police to the Civil Hospital suffering from a mydriatic poison. As the police version of the affair was so confusing, it was decided to defer making enquiries, until the patients had so far recovered as to be able to remember the early details of the occurrence.1
On the morning of their discharge from the Hospital, the elder of the women stated, that about ten o'clock on the night of the 7th, she saw the third patient put a small bundle into the utensil which contained the evening meat. When she enquired why he did this, he replied that it was good medicine. Later on, she saw him remove the bundle, and observed that he threw it into a corner of the kitchen. The woman, who gave her evidence in a very straightforward and intelligent manner, was requested to proceed at once to her home, make a careful search for the supposed drug and bring it at once to the Civil Hospital. In half an hour she returned, bearing in her hand a bundle of flowers, which, although somewhat mangled, were easily recognized as those of Datura alba.
There is no record at the Hong Kong Civil Hospital of a single case of Datura drugging terminating fatally.
The symptoms, as displayed by the Chinese, appear to vary but little. Soon after the administration of the drug, the victim suffers from dimness of sight, and staggers as he attempts to walk: he chatters away in an unintelligible manner, and laughingly grasps at imaginary objects. This latter is perhaps to the ordinary observer the most striking feature in Datura poisoning. The patient sits up in bed and picks at the bed clothes as though to catch some passing object, and will amuse himself by attempting to draw out imaginary threads from the ends of his fingers. If the case is a mild one, the patient will, if left alone, fall asleep, and after several hours' rest be practically well. In severe cases the patient acts more like a maniac. He recoils with a shriek from anyone who comes near him, and offers the most violent resistance to medical treatment. In all cases the pupils are dilated, and mydriasis will remain for some time after the other symptoms have subsided.1 The effects of Datura are usually produced in about fifteen minutes after the administration of the poison, but the activity of the herb would have to be in a liquid form to act so rapidly as this.
The reader is referred to Dr. Norman Chevers' Manual of Medical Jurisprudence for details of cases of poisoning in India by Dhatura (the Hindustani name for a species of Datura), and for an interesting account of the professional poisoners or Dhaturepas.1
Pharmacists ought not to experience much difficulty in obtaining in China a good quantity of this plant for medicinal uses. Even if the supply of the wild variety fails, any number of plants could on demand be grown from seeds in the south of China. In the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens may be seen some very fine specimens raised in this way. The leaves and seeds are included in the Pharmacopoeia of India (p. 175); and preparations of them are in constant use for a variety of disorders.
PARTS USED AND DESCRIPTION.-The fresh entire plant. The leaves vary considerably in size, the largest are about 8 inches long and 5 inches broad, very unequal at the
1Hongkong Govt. Gaz., Vol. XXIX., p. 662.
1Dr. Chevers states that persons who have been drugged by Dhatura should have more than a week allowed them to recover their memory.2 ({Med. Jurisp. for Ind. (1870), p. 210).
1In the annual report, for 1885, of the Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits Settlements, the following occurs in the Toxicological section (par. 877, p. 43); 'The symptoms in most pointed to some variety of stramonium or datura, administered in the form of decoction or infusion, but the quantities sent for examination have generally been too small from which to extract any of the alkaloids.' We are of opinion that if the enquiry is directed into the proper channel, no doubt it will be found that Datura alba is in use for criminal purposes in Singapore just the same as in Hong Kong and the Kwangtung province of China. Singapore is more a Chinese than a Malay Colony. In Hong Kong we believe the flowers are generally employed by the criminal: this will probably account for the fact that the majority of cases of Datura drugging are not very severe. The violent resistance offered by the victims to the use of the stomach pump and their determination in refusing all liquid emetics render it almost impossible to thoroughly empty the stomach; so that unless the analyst makes a direct search for atropine, there is danger of his missing the poison in the small quantity of material saved. If the food has been drugged, no difficulty should be encountered in detecting the poison, if a fair quantity of the meal has been left.
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