For convulsions and spasm

There is no specific antidote for strychnine but recovery from strychnine exposure is possible with early hospital treatment. Treatment consists of removing the drug from the body (decontamination) and getting supportive medical care in a hospital setting. Supportive care includes intravenous fluids, medications for convulsions and spasms, and cooling measures for high temperature. 

For convulsions and spasms due to high fever, add Cornu Antelopis (Ling Yang Jiao), Lumbricus (Di Long), and Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis (Gou Teng). 

Young calves fed multiple doses of heptachlor (2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg/day for 15, 6, and 3 days, respectively) or heptachlor epoxide (2.5 and 3.5, or 15 mg/kg/day for 3 and 5 days, respectively) had muscle spasms in the head and neck region, convulsive seizures, elevated body temperatures, and engorged brain blood vessels (Buck et al. 1959). 

In humans, the onset of symptoms may be delayed for up to 24 hours. Minor intoxication causes lethargy, confusion, fatigue, inability to concentrate, headache, and feelings of constriction of the chest. With moderate intoxication, effects are more obvious and include thick speech confused, sleepy appearance transient nystagmus and drooping of the eyelids and euphoria. With severe intoxication, there are signs of muscular incoordination tremor and tonic spasms of the muscles of the face, neck, abdomen, and extremities and convulsions and opisthotonos. ... 

Rats exposed to Stoddard solvent at a level of 1400 ppm for 8 hours exhibited eye irritation, bloody exudate around the nostrils, and slight loss of coordination. Exposure of a dog resulted in increased salivation at 3 hours, tremor at 4 hours, and clonic spasms after 5 hours 1700 ppm caused tremors, convulsions, and finally death in cats after 2.5-7.5 hours. No significant effects were observed in dogs exposed 6 hours/day for 65 days to 330ppm there was elevated blood urea nitrogen levels and marked tubular regeneration in the kidneys of rats similarly exposed. Renal effects noted in rats are consistent with a mechanism that appears to be unique to male rats (i.e., interactions with a2u-globulin), and it is not known whether Stoddard solvent would cause similar effects in humans. ... 

It is a toxic plant and has properties similar to strychnine, which is obtained from Strychnos nux vomica. Once recommended as a remedy for cholera, the plant is used to treat fever and acute emotional and mental afflictions such as hysteria, insomnia, and depression. In toxic doses, it causes muscle spasms, painful convulsions, and even death by asphyxiation (see Chapter 62). 

Q12 Hypocalcaemia increases the excitability of nerve and muscle cells. It is associated with reduction of the threshold potential necessary for initiation of nerve impulses, and consequently cell excitation occurs following a slight stimulus. The resulting symptoms include prolonged muscle spasms, which can particularly affect the face and limbs, hyper-reflexia, clonic-tonic convulsions and laryngeal spasm, which could cause asphyxia. 

The commonest forms of generalized epilepsy are tonic-clonic (grand mal) and absence seizures (petit mal). Tonic-clonic seizures are major convulsions involving spasm of all muscles. There is loss of consciousness and possibly incontinence. The abnormal brain activity involves the whole of the cerebral cortex. Seizures last for several minutes and may be preceded by an aura , which is a kind of warning that an attack is about to happen. 

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