American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

Dr. Cressman of Illinois reported a case poisoned by colocynth. The
patient was taken with violent pain in the stomach and bowels, followed
immediately by vomiting. The bowels moved once, then. The tongue was
clean; the pupils were dilated; pulse weak and rapid; respiration short;
skin cool and moist; intense frontal headache. The pain in the
extremities increased with the pain in the back. In twenty-four hours the
pulse was weak, temperature subnormal, bowels moving every fifteen or
twenty minutes, movements streaked with blood, headache very intense,
tenesmus extreme. By hypodermics of morphine for the pain, and carbolic
acid and subnitrate of bismuth for the intestinal disturbance, she slowly
recovered, but subnormal temperature continued for several days.
Specific Symptomatology—Acute, cutting pains in the stomach and
bowels in infants-in otherwise perfect health. Intestinal derangements
denoted by screams and sharp crying out in sleep, persistent crying and
screaming with drawing up of the legs in very young babes. Spasmodic
pain of all kinds in the stomach or bowels.
Therapy—Five drops of the tincture in half a glass of water, a teaspoonful
every fifteen minutes, will cure infantile colic with the above symptoms
in an hour. It is serviceable in all forms of colic in these small doses,
whether from the liver, stomach or the intestines, if the pain is sharp,
quick and of a cutting character. It will cure neuralgic colic wherever
located, and also some cases of idiopathic neuralgia.
In large doses it is cathartic and depressant in its action, slowing the
heart and reducing the temperature and at the same time producing
great irritation, consequently feebleness and inflammation are
contraindications to its use.
In bilious dyspepsia, so-called, with distension or a feeling of fullness in
the stomach after eating, it is a good remedy in minute doses given after
meals. The tincture is a better remedy than the specific, as the latter is
too active. It is a good plan to dilute it for every day prescribing, in the
proportion of one dram to nine drams of dilute alcohol. Of this ten
minims in a four-ounce mixture will produce excellent results.
Colocynth is advised for ovarian trouble where the pain is sharp and
cutting; where the ovaries are enlarged and tender from neuralgia. Also
during menstruation if the pain is griping, spasmodic, sharp, and severe.
Ten drops in a four-ounce mixture, a teaspoonful every half hour or hour.
In the latter case better results may be secured by adding to the mixture
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 137