False Helleborine, also known as White Hellebore and White Veratrum (Veratrum album) is a highly poisonous perennial bulbous herb of the family Liliaceae, native to southern and central Europe where it grows in damp meadows in the hills and mountains, often forming spreading masses. It has a massive root system, a short vertical rhizome covered with remnants of old leaf stalks, and a robust, unbranched stem. The leaves are alternate, broadly ovate to elliptic and have sheathing bases and are longitudinally grooved along the prominent veins. The flowers are numerous, yellowish-green in colour and arranged in compound panicles, the lower-most flowers being bisexual and the upper ones usually male. The fruit is a downy capsule.
The rhizome and roots of False Helleborine contain several toxic alkaloids including veratrine, protoveratrine A and protoveratrine B which widen the lumen of blood vessels, and lower blood pressure. The roots and rhizome are used in medicine to prepare anti-hypersensitivity and heart medicines. Although formerly used in herbal medicine, the practise is now banned in Britain due to the extreme toxicity of the plant, only one or two grams being sufficient to cause collapse, severe vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and death. Research False Helleborine
Laburnum is a highly poisonous deciduous shrub or small tree of the family Leguminosae with smooth greyish-green bark and trifoliate, long-stalked leaves which are dark-green and glabrous above, paler and felted below. The flowers are yellow and arranged in long drooping racemes. The fruit is a brown pod containing black seeds, which contain the highly toxicalkaloid cytisine. Research Laburnum
The tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) is a South American annual plant of the family Solanaceae. It produces a round red fruit which is treated like a vegetable.
The tomato was introduced into Britain around 1696, and was originally grown in greenhouses as a decorative climbing plant on account of its red and yellow berries, as they were then termed. The tomato was not eaten at first, on account of the many toxic varieties of related plant which were known. Research Tomato
In Chinese mythology, the farmer god took pity on humans who were suffering illnesses as a result of eating poisonous plants and drinking contaminated water. In an effort to help mankind, the farmer god tasted all the plants and taught humans the difference between those that were poisonous and those that were edible. He organised plants into four categories: bland, toxic, cool and hot, this system forming the basis of traditional Chinese medicine. The farmer god also taught mankind how to distinguish between types of soil and terrain. he created a wooden plough and taught man how to till the soil and sow grains. Research Farmer God
The development of bed sores in a patient in hospital, is usually considered to indicate bad nursing. Bed sores occur from interruption of the nutrition of areas of skin where the blood supply has been impaired by pressure. Bed sores are almost inevitable in some patients. The very thin, the very heavy, the incantinent and those who through some injury to the spine have lost the sensation of the skin at these points are most likely to develop pressure sores. Common sites for bed sores are the sacral area and the heels. In patients with septic conditions, nutrition is impaired by prolonged fever and there is frequently anaemia. Their toxic condition renders them less likely to move about and the greatest care needs to be taken to prevent the development of these pressure ulcers. Frequent change of position and massage of pressure points with spirit followed by powder is the best method of prevention. Early post-operative mobilisation of all patients who are fit to get up has done much to prevent this distressing complaint.
In unconscious patients or those who have had some injury to the spinal cord, a large pressure sore can develop as soon as twelve hours after the injury or onset of the illness. A bed sore on the sacral area may even develop from the patient's position on the operating table during a long operation. Although pressure sores rarely develop over the scapulae or the elbows, these points are subject to soreness and require similar preventive treatment when a patient is washed. An ulcer may develop on the shin from the weight of the other leg, if the legs of an unconscious patient are left crossed. Research Bed Sores
Empyema thoracis is the condition of pusformation in the pleural space. The pleural effusion which accompanies infective conditions of the lung may itself become infected and form pus. A lung abscess may burst into the pleural space. Haemothorax may become infected. The symptoms which the condition produces depend on the amount of puspresent, and the degree of compression of, or disease in, the underlying lungs. There is some embarrassment of respiration, and 'swinging' fever, typically present whenever pus has accumulated in the body. Fever may sometimes be absent, especially if the patient is being treated with antibiotics. The patient with an empyema is severely toxic, looks ill, loses weight rapidly and becomes severely anaemic. If the pus is sufficiently thin to be removed through a needle, then the treatment is entirely by aspiration. Penicillin or other antibiotic solution may be injected into the pleural space after the withdrawal of the pus. Aspiration needs to be repeated daily until lung expansion is adequate. If the pus becomes too
thick for aspiration, the empyema is treated by one of two surgical methods: (a) A small intercostal incision is made and a large self- retaining catheter placed into the pleural space to allow the escape of pus. The catheter is connected to an under-water seal. This method of intercostal drainage is rarely used but it is sometimes suitable for children. (b) Rib resection and drainage by a wide-bore tube. Part of one rib is removed and the pleural space opened through its periosteum. This tube may be left open at its outer end or may be attached to an under-water seal. One type of tube is the 'Tudor- Edward' empyema tube which has an additional small rubber side tube through which the empyema cavity can be irrigated. Research Empyema Thoracis
Abbreviations
Research Chinese White
