Treatise on Poisons by Sir Robert Christison

infusion of opium and belladonna as a wash for an eruption in the vulva, took it into her head one day to use the wash as an injection; and actually received three successive injections, containing each the active matter of a scruple of opium and half an ounce of belladonna leaves. Fortunately none of the three was retained above a few minutes, except the last, which was not discharged for ten minutes. In less than an hour, she was found in bed in a deep sleep, but the true cause was not suspected till three hours later. She was then completely insensible and motionless, with the face pale, the pupils excessively dilated and not contractile, the pulse frequent and small, and the breathing hurried. After the use of purgative injections, blood-letting, leeches to the head, and sinapisms to the legs, she began in five hours to show some sign of returning consciousness, which improved after a fit of vomiting. When thoroughly roused, her vision continued dim, the pupils excessively dilated, and the ideas somewhat confused. For three days the pulse continued frequent, and the pupils somewhat dilated.[2560] Here the opium seems to have prevented the delirium usually induced by belladonna in the early stage, while on the other hand the belladonna prevented the usual effect of opium on the pupils, and actually produced the opposite action.