Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

this it may be noted that the majority of these unwanted effects do
not, in any particular, correspond with the symptoms induced by a
poisonous dose of the drug, and that we cannot, at will, effect these
untoward symptoms and especially such as manifest themselves in
cutaneous eruptions.’ As Paracelsus implied ‘poison’ being a
question of dose means that it refers to a ‘type A’ event.
Quinine: Vépan mentions a lady who took 1½ grains (97 mgm)
‘and afterward 2 1/2 grains (162 mgm) of quinine for neuralgia, two
days afterward her entire body was covered by purpuric spots, which
disappeared in the course of nine days but to reappear after the
administration of the drug was resumed.’ Lewin says that in this case
the severity of the eruption was in proportion to the size of the dose,
and during its existence there was bleeding of the gums (Vépan,
1865); he adds that Gauchet also noticed an eruption of this kind in a
lady who had previously expectorated blood after taking quinine. The
petechiae were profusely spread over the entire body; it disappeared
after the suspension of the drug (Gauchet, 1871).
Opium: ‘Brochin reported (Brochin, 1877) a case in which the
“idiosyncrasy” against morphine was so great that 1/25 of a grain
(2.6 mgm) of the drug administered hypodermically caused
irregularity of the respiration, momentary suspension of the heartbeat
and profound narcosis, intense mental confusion, vertigo,
headache, convulsions, buzzing and ringing in the ears, tinnitus,
confusion, dimness of vision, disturbances of hearing,
unconsciousness, twitching, tremor, temporary paralysis, dry throat,
nausea and vomiting, anorexia, profuse diaphoresis, face turgid and
reddened, hot to touch, pruritus opii, skin eruption, stupor, and
colicky pains.‘ (Gould & Pyle, 1997).
White Hellebore: ‘sneezing if in contact with the nasal mucous
membrane, similarly the conjunctiva, sense of pricking and increased
heat, restlessness, anxiety, petechial or vesicular eruption, lowers
pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature, and frequency of
respiration, dryness of the mouth, difficult deglutition, nausea and
vomiting, choking, salivation, colicky pains, diarrhoea, may be tinged
with blood, vertigo, dimness of vision, trembling, collapse, pustular
eruption on face, and cerebral symptoms.’
Henbane (Hyoscin): ‘irritability, vomiting, intoxication, speech
difficult, swallowing impossible, delirium, laborious respiration, pupils
dilated, clonic convulsions, hyoscine from amorphous hyoscyamine
gives–feeling of oppression, benumbed sensation, pressure over the
eyes, thirst, dryness of throat, nausea, trembling, sensation of heat,