CO129-249 - Governor Des Voeus Acting Governor Barker - 1891 [1-5] — Page 138

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THE CHINA REVIEW.

a wash for the feet. It is also applied to ulcers of the face, in eonvulsions of child- ren and in prolapsus aui.'

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 re- port for 1882.1 Mr. McCallure, the then Government Analyst, has obligingly placed at our disposal some notes of the investiga- tions made by him which led up to the dis- covery that a Solanaceous plant and pos- sibly Datura alba was a common stupefying agent amongst the Chinese in Hongkong. He states, that during the years 1880-1882, cases of alleged drugging were frequently before the courts, and nearly always con- nected with robbery; the victims being in most cases returned emigrants. An in- pression seems to have pervaded the minds of the Magistrates and the Police that the complainants were either drunk from aleo- hol, or that the eases had simply been tramped up by some evil-disposed person for the sake of revenge. In June or July 1982, 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 aloue the child soon fell asleep, and next morning, beyood dis- playing 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 auted as a powerful mydriatie, 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 ob- served in the ease of the little girl. The

1. Hongkong Gout. Gaz., Vol. XXIX., p. 662,

flowers were submitted to the Director of the Botanic Gardens, and identified as those

of Duturn alba,

Bhortly after this, and while the Datura investigation was still being conducted in the Government Laboratory, a second in- stance of mydriatic poisoning was brought to the notice of the Civil Medical authorities. Mr. McCallum's note of this case runs 18 follows: A Chinese barber in good health, bat old and anemic, soon after the begin- ning of his evening meal, felt himself get- ting 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 Hospi-

tal at 11 a.m., his guit was unsteady; he trembled and looked very foolish. The pu- pils of both eyes were widely dilated, and Le 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. MoCal- lum remarks that unfortunately it was im- possible to prove what particular plant was used in either of these cases, but no doubt it was a Datura, and most probably the va- riety known as D). alba'

Since 1882, there have been several cases of poisoning by Daturn. 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 Daturs alba bad been employed.

At about 5 am, on the Sth 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 nú far re- covered 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

1. Dr. Chovers states that persons who have been drugged by Dhatura should have more than a week allowed them to recover their me- mory?" {Med, Jurisp, for Ind. (1870), p. 210).

NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA.

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 re- plied that it was good medicine. Later on, she saw him remove the bundle, and ob- served that he threw it into a corner of the kitchen. The woman, who gave her evidence

in a very straightforward and intelligent man- ner, was requested to proceed at once to her home, make a careful search for the sup- posed drug and bring it at once to the Civil Hospital. In half an hour sho returned, bearing in her hand a bundle of Howers, which, although somewhat mangled, were easily recognized as those of Datura alba.

There is no record at the Hongkong Civil Hospital of a single case of Datura drug- ging terminating fatally.

The symptoms, as displayed by the Chi- nese, appear to vary bat 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 Luturu poisoning. The patient site up in bed and picks at the bed clothes as though to catch some passing ohjeet, and will amuse himself by attempt- ing 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 acta more like a maniac. He recoils with a shriek from anyone who comes near him, and offers the most violent resistance to medical treat- ment. In all cases the pupils are dilated, and mydriasis will remain for some time af-

ter the other symptoms have subsided.1 The effects of Dutura are usually produced

1. The above does not profess to be a proper physiological note. I have merely recorded what I have often seen in the Hongkong Civil Hospi tal-facts which could be noted by any one pos sessed of ordinary powers of observation.-W. E. C.

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in about fifteen minutes after the admini- stration 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 Chevors' 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 read-poisoners or Dhatu- repás.i

Pharmacista ought not to experience much difficulty in obtaining in China a good quan- tity 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 Hongkong Botanic Gardens may be seen some very fue specimens raised in this way. The leaves and seeds are included in the Pharmacopoeia of India (p. 175); and pre- parations 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

1. In the annual report, for 1885, of the Principal Civil Medical officer. Straits Settle- ments, the following occurs in the Tosicological eection (par. 877, p. 43); The symptoms in most pointed to some variety of stramonium or dataru, adoninistered in the form of decoction or infusion, but the quantities sent for examina- tim bave 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 Hongkong and the Kwangtung province of China. Singapore is more a Chinese than a Malay Colony. In Houg- kong we believe the flowers are generally en- ployed by the criminal: this will probably account for the fact that the majority of cases of Dutura drugging are not very sorere. The violent resist- ance offered by the victims to the use of the stou- ach pump and their determination in refasing all Liquid emetics rendor it almost impossible to thoroughly empty the stomach; so that uulosa 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 en- countered in detecting the poison, if a fair quantity of the meal has been left,

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