Nitrite of Sodium. NaNO2. Trituration. Solution.
Clinical
Angina pectoris. Apoplexy. Cyanosis. Fainting. Gastro-enteritis.
Characteristics
Ringer and Murrell (*Lancet, November 3, 1883.-*C.D.P.) administered ten grains of *Na.ntrs., dissolved in an ounce of water, to fourteen men and four women. To twelve men and four women it was given in five-gr. doses. In almost all it produced alarming symptoms of the apoplectic order. A cat had 4 c.c. of a 10 per cent. aqueous solution injected under the skin, and dies of the effects. Collischorm (quoted *H.P., x. 469) related two cases of accidental poisoning with *Nat.nitros. (I) The first patient was affected with: Diarrhoea and fainting, bitter eructations, heavily coated tongue, and on the chest and eruption like syphilitic roseola. Traces of albumen in urine. During the night, copious alvine discharges with faintness. The following day, intense cyanosis. Urine dark yellow, containing copious urates. Next day he took 2.5 gr., cyanosis diminished and the measly eruption spread all over the body except the face. (2) The second patient had the cyanosis, diarrhoea, and faintings in an aggravated form so that collapse threatened. Strong Coffee and omission of the drug removed the symptoms. Worse Motion. Better Lying down. The concomitance of fainting with other affections may prove a keynote, “Copious liquid stools at night with faintness.”.
Relations
*Antidoted by: Coffee. *Compare: Amyl. nit. Gloninum worse By motion. Bryonia
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Though she would have died. So much upset she feared she would never get over it.
Head
Giddy, as if he would become insensible, lips, face, hands, become blue, had to lie down half an hour before he dared move. Face and head seemed swollen, throbbed violently till she though they would burst. Head felt as if it would split in two. Terrible headache, worse on motion, especially going up stairs.
Eyes
Staring eyes and livid lips. Pupils widely dilated (cat).
Face
Face, lips, hands turned blue. Lips turned black and throbbed for hours. Deadly pale.
Mouth
Tongue protruded, dark colour (cat). Heavily coated tongue.
Stomach
Bitter eructations. Feels very sick, but did not actually vomit. Nausea and eructations. Vomiting (two cases from 5-gr. Doses). The medicine kept rising, so he could not keep it down. Stomach firmly contracted (cat).
Abdomen
Intestines firmly contracted (cat). Liver of dark colour (cat).
Stool
Diarrhoea, copious stools with fainting, in the night.
Urinary Organs
Bladder firmly contracted (cat). Urine: dark yellow, copious urates, trace of albumen, methaemoglobin.
Heart
Heart came on beating very fast, he throbbed all over. Left ventricle contracted, right dilated (cat.) _ Blood very dark, almost like treacle (cat).
Generalities
Took all his strength away. Trembling sensation all over and suddenly fell on the floor. The women were more severely affected than the men. Ten minutes after the dose felt a trembling sensation all over and suddenly fell on the floor, while lying there she perspired freely, face and head felt swollen, throbbed violently, felt sick. Faintness, nervousness. Went off in hysterics, could not hold a limb still.
Skin
Rash like roseola syphilitica on chest, measly, spreading to abdomen and thighs, covered gradually all the body except the face.
Fever
Violent perspiration.
