A handy-book of forensic medicine and toxicology.

  • Woodman, W. Bathurst (William Bathurst), 1836-1877.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A handy-book of forensic medicine and toxicology. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Gerstein Science Information Centre at the University of Toronto, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto.

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    for as possible, to systematize the general symptoms produced by poisons, reserving for our remarks on each, any special characteristics that its symptoms present. I. Symptoms of Corrosive Poisons. (Strong mineral acids, caustic alkalies and their carbonates—strong solutions of oxalic acid, corrosive sublimate, chlorides of antimony, zinc, tin, &c., &c.) Immediate burning pain in the mouth, throat and stomach, rapidly extending to the abdomen. Vomiting occurs very soon, followed by purging. Blood is discharged pure or mixed. The mouth and throat will be found to be corroded. Speedy death will occur either from (1) shock, or (2) exhaustion, or (3) from perfoiation of the stomach or intestinal canal, or (4) from starvation by stricture of the gullet, or (5) from suffocation from injury to the glottis or windpipe. II. Symptoms of Irritants. (Arsenic, mercury, tin, lead, copper, phosphorus, iodine, cantharides, irritant gases. Every corrosive acts as an irritant, inflaming o me parts whilst it destroys others, but there are many irritants that are not corrosives, such as salts of baryta, cantharides, &c.) The symptoms vary considerably both in intensity and rapidity of action. These differences depend largely on the solubility of the poison and the quantity swallowed. As regards solubility and its influence on the commencement of the symptoms, we may note that with some poisons, such as arsenious acid, a considerable delay may occur from their insolu- bility in water or in other liquids. The intense pain and dryness in the throat, usually produced by irritant poisons as soon as swallowed, is often, by reason of their insolubility, absent in the first instance, but supervenes in a later stage when the poison, dissolved more or less in the gastric fluids, conies in contact with the gullet in the act of vomiting. This broad distinction between corrosives and irritants may be noted, that with the former the symptoms are usually immediate, whilst with the latter considerable delay in their appearance is not uncommon. By this test, therefore, we should be able to say whether a poison that had been swallowed was calomel or corrosive sublimate. After a certain time pain and great dryness of the throat is complained of. There is commonly great thirst, nausea and vomiting,— pain and extreme tenderness of the abdomen, the pain being increased by pressure, purging with tenesmus, the discharges usually being mixed with blood, —hiccup, loss of voice, cold sweats, an irregular thready pulse, pain in the region of the kidneys, with strangury. The patient, as a rule, is sensible to the last. Death will occur either from (1) shock to the nervous system, or (2) convulsions, or (3) exhaustion, or (4) starvation, or (5) suffocation from inflammation of the upper part of the windpipe. And here it is important to note two facts. (1) That anomalous symptoms occasionally occur as the result of irritant poisoning, such as coma, paralysis and tetanic spasms; and (2) that some diseases such, for example, as gastro-enteritis, complicated with acute nephritis, closely simulate, as Dr. Anstie pointed out, cases of irritant poisoning. ( Medical Times and Gazette, March 2, 1861, p. 239.) III. Symptoms of Narcotics and Narcotico-acrids. Of these we may distinguish several classes. The symptoms are more easily mistaken for disease than those produced by corrosives or irritants.