An Important Toxic Effect of Digitalis Overdosage on the Vision

Abstract

IN 1785 William Withering, in his famous book entitled An Account of Foxglove, writing concerning effects of digitalis (page 184), said that the foxglove when given in very large and quickly repeated doses, occasions sickness, vomiting, purging, giddiness, confused vision, objects appearing green or yellow.... In early 1820's Purkinje, great Czech physician, also described toxic effect of digitalis on vision, especially rosettes of light seen by patient, and Cushny, professor of pharmacology in University of Edinburgh, writing his noted book on digitalis, which was published in 1925, had this to say . . .