Digitalis poisoning: historical and forensic aspects.

Since the introduction of digitalis into therapy approximately 200 years ago, there have been continuing admonitions concerning its toxicity. Over 400 years ago, herbalists listed the plant as being poisonous. In fiction, the homicidal use of digitalis has appeared in the writings of Mary Webb, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Ten instances in real life of alleged homicide by digitalis and trials of the accused are listed. The drug has been used with suicidal intent rather infrequently, compared with other medications. Possibly, it is more commonly used for such a purpose in France than in England or the United States. The fraudulent use of digitalis in the support of claims for disability because of heart disease has occurred, and one large conspiracy of physicians and lawyers in the swindle of insurance companies during the 1930s is a shameful episode in the record of these professions. Although innocent, one professor of medicine who was involved committed suicide. Two pharmaceutical (manufacturing) blunders that occurred in Belgium and Holland with mislabeling are mentioned. These resulted in numerous deaths and the profession seemed rather slow to recognize the nature of these small epidemics of poisoning. Instances of psychiatric illness with digitalis seem well documented. The story of digitalis toxicity continues into the present and physicians should be vigilant regarding the drug's potential for poisoning that can result from prescribing digitalis with ignorance of proper dosage, pharmacodynamics or drug interactions, as well as from accidental overdose as in children and use with self-destructive or homicidal intent.

Effect of nitroglycerin with and without systemic hypotension on canine regional myocardial tritiated water deposition.

A marked alteration in the transmural distribution of left ventricular blood flow, with a relative increase in subendocardial and mid-wall flows, but with no change in the distribution of the relative blood flow to the two ventricles occurred when nitroglycerin was administered and the systemic arterial blood pressure in the upper body maintained near control levels in anaesthetized, open-chested dogs. The relative increase in subendocardial and mid-wall flows may have resulted from a direct action of nitroglycerin on the coronary vasculature. On the other hand, the intravenous administration of nitroglycerin, when followed by the hypotension which it produces, did not alter the transmural distribution of blood flow in the left ventricle of the dog. Blood flow to the right ventricle relative to flow to the left ventricle increased in this situation.

Spa therapy for heart disease Bad Nauheim (circa 1900).

The development of Bad Nauheim, a German spa that over 2 centuries became dominant in the attraction of patients with heart disease is described. Here, patients experienced a regimen of saline baths and mostly static exercises developed by the Schotts, 2 physician brothers. Concomitant with the bathing and exercises, there was a social atmosphere conducive to relaxation. Many visiting physicians were impressed that there were improvements in the patients' cardiac status. One skeptical exception was Sir James Mackenzie, whose views are synopsized. The reported improvements may have had a modicum of a physiologic base, from recent investigations on the nature of heart failure, and may have anticipated the current use of exercise in cardiac rehabilitation.

Electrocution: an ever-present hazard.

Hospitals have become safer from electric shock accidents, but physicians who delegate to the electronics experts full responsibility in this regard will be shirking an obligation. Every physician should be involved both in programs to prevent these accidents in medical settings and in efforts to educate the public concerning the risk of electrocution in and around the home.