42S STRYCHNIA duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1674 he re- turned to Jena as professor of canon law and ordinarius of the judicial college, and in 1680 was appointed president of the regency of Weimar, the duke being a minor. He pub- lished 13- elaborate treatises on law, of which the most important are : Syntagma Juris Feu- dalit (Jena, 1653); Syntagmata Jurispruden- ti(B Civili* (1665) ; and Jurisprudent Ro- mano- Germanica Forensis (1670). II. BURK- HARD GOTTHELF, a German jurist, son of the preceding, born in Weimar, May 26, 1671, died in Jena, May 24, 1738. He studied at Jena and various other German and Dutch univer- sities, and in 1692 engaged at Jena with his brother in the pursuit of the philosopher's stone, in which they soon beggared them- selves. In 1704 he became professor of histo- ry, and in 1712 extraordinary professor of law. The most important of his numerous works is his Corpus Juris Gentium (Jena, 1743). STRYCHNIA, or Strychnine, a poisonous vege- table alkaloid, discovered in 1818 by Pelletier and Caventou in the seed of the strychnos multiflora or St. Ignatius' bean, and the strych- nos nux-vomica. (See Nux VOMICA.) It is associated with brucia, an alkaloid having sim- ilar poisonous properties, but of much less strength. (See BRUOIA.) Strychnia is also said to be contained in larger proportions in the seeds of the strychnos tieute, a native of Java, from which the poison called upas tieut6 is extracted. In preparing strychnia, the seeds of the plant may be first softened by steam and sliced, dried, and ground, or they may be reduced to a pulp by beating. The following is Merck's process for extracting the alkaloid : The seeds are boiled for 24 or 36 hours in a closed boiler with water enough to cover them, acidulated with one eighth of its weight of sulphuric acid. They are then beaten into a paste, and the liquor is expressed. Excess of caustic lime is added, which throws down the alkaloids. The precipitate is then boiled in alcohol of specific gravity 0*850, and filtered hot. Strychnia and brucia are deposited to- gether in a colored and impure state, and may be separated by cold alcohol, which dissolves the brucia. The remaining strychnia is then boiled in alcohol with a little animal charcoal, and the solution filtered boiling hot. On cool- ing, the strychnia crystallizes in small briHiant, colorless, octahedral crystals, soluble in about 7,000 parts of cold and 2,500 parts of boiling water. Strychnia is inodorous, but has an exceedingly bitter taste, which is perceptible when the drug is dissolved in 1,000,000 parts of water. It is one of the most active and powerful poisons. The symptoms it produces are difficulty of breathing and a sense of suf- focation, twitching of the .limbs and tetanic convulsions, the body becoming arched in the back, often resting on the head and heels, a condition known as opisthotonos. The fea- tures are convulsed, attended by spasm of the jaws and choking. The attack occurs in par- oxysms, between which the intellect is often clear at first, but becomes clouded after a suc- cession of paroxysms. The medical properties of strychnia are like those of nux vomica, which was employed by the Arabian physi- cians. In small doses it acts as a tonic, and it is often given as an adjunct to laxative pills, particularly to dinner pills, in debilitated con- ditions of the muscular coat of the intestines. When given in larger doses its action is direct- ed to the motor nerves, probably through the medium of the spinal marrow. It produces trembling in the limbs, and a tendency to in- voluntary muscular contraction, as in tetanus, and frequent starts and spasms occur as from electric shocks, which are increased in inten- sity by a perseverance in the medicine. It sometimes produces pain in the head, vertigo, contracted pupils, and dimness of vision. The pulse is not particularly affected, though some- times slightly accelerated. It has been em- ployed on the continent of Europe as an an- tidote to the plague, in intermittent fevers, and as a remedy in mania, hysteria, rheuma- tism, and hydrophobia. It is said to have cured spasmodic asthma. Its peculiar influ^ ence npon the nerves of motion, to which attention was first called by Magendie, caused M. Fouquier, a French physician, to use it in paralytic affections, and it is now considered a standard remedy in palsy. It is a singular fact that its action is directed first to the mus- cles of the paralytic part. Its action varies in degree with different animals, being partic- ularly marked upon the canine race. Pelle- tier and Caventou killed a dog in half a min- ute with one sixth of a grain. One grain might prove fatal in the human subject; in- deed, half a grain proved fatal in the case of Dr. Warner. One twelfth of a grain every four hours, repeated several times, will cause decidedly unpleasant symptoms; but a great difference in its effects is observed in differ- ent individuals, some being affected by the administration of one thirtieth of a grain two or three times repeated, while others have been said to take more than a grain at a time, and as much as three grains in the course of 24 hours. Many antidotes have been proposed. According to M. Duclos, its poisonous effects subside under the application of negative elec- tricity, while they are aggravated by positive. Kermes mineral has been recommended by M. Thorel, being thought by him to form an insoluble snlphuret, and he recommends the administration at the same time of an emetic. Tannic acid, chlorine, and tinctures of iodine and bromine are regarded as the best antidotes by Prof. Bellini. The indications are to evac- uate the stomach as quickly as possible, and for this the stomach pump is the most effi- cient means. In its absence sulphate of zinc or powdered mustard may be used. To re- lieve the spasms various narcotics have been used, as conium, opium, and canndbis Indica, and the reports of their effect are in some
