A treatise on poisons : in relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physic.

  • Christison, Robert, Sir, 1797-1882.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on poisons : in relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physic. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    of the abdomen were contracted spasmodically, so that the navel was drawn towards the spine; profound lethargy and general coldness supervened ; and she too died about thirty-six hours after eating the fungus. A third child, after slight symptoms of amendment had shown themselves, became worse again, and died on the third day with trembling, delirium, and convulsions. This patient, who had taken very little of the poison, was not attacked till about thirty hours after the meal. The fourth child, after precursory symptoms like those of the rest, became delirious, and had an attack of colic and inflammation of the bowels, without diarrhoea ; but he eventually recovered. The father had a severe attack of dysentery for three days, and remained five days speechless. For a long time after- wards he had occasional bloody diarrhoea ; and, although he even- tually recovered, his health continued to suffer for an entire year.* The cases now mentioned illustrate clearly the simultaneous occur- rence of narcotic and irritant symptoms in the same individuals. A striking circumstance in respect to the symptoms of poisoning with the fungi, is the great difference in the interval which elapses before they begin. In the first case the symptoms appear to have commenced in a few minutes; but, on the contrary, an interval of twelve hours is common ; and Gmelin has quoted a set of cases, seventeen in number, in which, as in one of those related by Picco, the interval is said to have been a day and a half, t The tardiness of the approach of the symptoms is owing to the indigestibility of most of the fungi. Their indigestibility is in fact so great, that portions of them have been discharged by vomiting so late as fifty-two hours after they were swallowed 4 Another circumstance, worthy of particular notice, is the great durability of the symptoms. Even the purely narcotic effects of some fungi have been known to last above two days. In the instance just alluded to, the vomiting of the poison was the first thing that in- terrupted a state of deep lethargy, which had prevailed for fifty-two hours. The symptoms of irritation, after their violence has been mi- tigated, might continue, as in the instance quoted from Orfila, for about three weeks. It was stated above, that some people are apt to suffer unpleasant effects from eating even the best and safest of the esculent mush- rooms. These effects, which depend on idiosyncrasy, are confined chiefly to an attack of vomiting and purging, followed by more or less indigestion. Some persons have been similarly affected, even by the small portion of mushroom-juice which is contained in an or- dinary ketchup seasoning. This accident, however, may very well be often unconnected with idiosyncrasy; as I have seen those who gather mushrooms near Edinburgh, for the purpose of making ketchup, picking up every fungus that came in their way. There is some reason for suspecting that even the best mushrooms, * Picco — Mem. de la Soc. Roy. de Med. 1780-81, p. 355. j- Geschichte der Pflanzengifte, 630. ^ Aymen, in Hist, de la Soc. Roy. de Med. i. 344.