American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

Spasm of the glottis has been controlled in several cases promptly with
ten drop doses, though a larger dose may be needed.
A case of tonic spasm with deep coma following a fifth laparotomy was
most satisfactorily cured by dram doses every fifteen or twenty minutes
until two ounces were used.
The convulsions of cerebrospinal meningitis have no more active
antidote than hypodermic lobelia. Given with echinacea, calcium
sulphide or hexymethylenamine, it will prove curative, although some
doctors will prefer to combine it, for sedative influence with gelsemium.
Dr. Wilkenloh has observed that she gets best results in this disease when
the face is ashy pale, when the muscular pains are extremely severe, and
where there is some paralysis following the convulsive attack. Even in
children with these conditions she gives full doses in most cases though
usually smaller doses will accomplish the same result.
Five cases of epidemic spinal meningitis were treated with recovery in
every case with ten drop doses given every hour.
Epilepsy should be treated with this remedy and careful observations
made. If given during the aura in sufficiently large doses and the dose
repeated as indicated, it will probably be found to exercise an efficient
control. It was satisfactory in a few cases that are reported, but
observations are insufficient.
In the treatment of tetanus, it has controlled the convulsions in a
number of cases, especially if an anti-toxic agent was injected at the
same time.
In the treatment of eclampsia, while our present anti-spasmodics are
efficient their influence is enforced by hypodermics of lobelia. It is the
most active of this class in promoting dilatation of a rigid os, which is
often immediately essential, permitting the completion of the labor. It can
be used in conjunction or alternation with veratrum or gelsemium, and
dram doses of echinacea should be given by the mouth every two hours to
antagonize the toxins. One extreme case is reported with every condition
aggravated and these complicated with placenta previae. The child was
removed by Caesarian section. After veratrine, pilocarpine, elaterium, and
magnesium sulphate were given fully for the dropsy, the convulsions
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 284