THE CASE OF THE DORSET BOY

     In seeking a genuine case of a child being poisoned by Foxglove, I did not pursue any that mentioned Digoxin or Digitoxin as I believed that those would only concern the pharmaceutical tablet or the pediatric liquid.
  This was not what I was looking for; I wanted to learn of a poisonous interaction between a child and a plant in the garden. In many instances even when refered to as Digitalis it would once again be the pharmaceutical.
   Until I discovered the case of the Dorset boy. The scientific paper that was written on this case had a title that was perfectly clear.    
     "Digitalis Poisoning Due to the Accidental Ingestion of Foxglove Leaves"
(Therapeutic Drug Monitoring 5:217 (1983) Raven Press N.Y. )
Michael Simpkiss, pediatrician. Poole General Hospital, Dorset UK
and David Holt, Poison Unit, Guy's Hospital.  London UK

     It is not a pretty story, although I will say at once that given the circumstances it has a reasonably happy ending. The boy was fine.

   The 7 year old child is described as being severely mentally retarded.
He was diagnosed as having a genetic disorder termed epiloia or tuberous sclerosis that causes small benign tumours to form on various body organs.

   He was epileptic for which he received two different drugs three times a day.
He had pica.  The word pica was entirely new to me and since it may be new to you I will explain.
   PICA :  A pattern of behavior distinguished by the ingestion of non-food items such as dirt, sand, animal faeces, flaking paint or wallpaper and other papers. The word refers to Pica pica the European Magpie.

   The boy had been left unattended in the garden. When he was next observed he was producing green vomit and continued do so for 24 hours before he was taken to a hospital. His pulse rate was a low 48 beats a minute compared to
70/80 beats on previous admissions. The symptoms all suggested Foxglove ingestion which was confirmed by testing for digitoxin levels in the blood plasma. He had stopped vomiting after 48 hours and began to make a steady recovery. Tests had shown the presence of extremely high quantities of Digitalis indicating that a considerable amount of Foxglove had been consumed.
 Digitalis slows the heart and when it slows to an extreme you're dead.

     Have I been wise in relating these facts ? I am not sure. I do believe that silence can be the very worse kind of lie. The Case of the Dorset Boy is an extreme and very rare event. It is not something that will happen to your healthy child finding delight in a beautiful flower.
    A child who explores the taste of Foxglove will find that the leaves are furry and extremely bitter with nothing to appeal. A happy child would simply spit it out. Garden centres can continue to sell  Foxgloves with clear conscience and gardeners can take pride in their  plants.
We should be so lucky as to live where Foxgloves are a prominent feature of the countryside.