Such a grouping is far from perfect; but it would be impossible to have anything worse than that still in general use. It is with the hope of rendering this little volume more generally useful these changes have been made: a reason at all times all-powerful with its lamented Author. A. S. AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. These Memoranda are intended to refresh the memory of the practitioner on a subject which is not brought under his notice so frequently as many other departments of medicine. They are especially adapted to show at a glance the treatment to be adopted in each particular instance of poisoning to which a medical man is liable to be summoned. There seems reason to fear that the crime of slow poisoning is more extensively practised in the present day than is generally believed. The study of the following pages will, it is hoped, put the physician on his guard; and prevent his attributing to natural disease symptoms due to the villainous administration of deadly drugs. HENRIETTA STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Definition and Mode of Action of Poisons 13 CHAPTER II. Diagnosis of Poisoning—Duties of the Practitioner 19 CHAPTER III. Duties of the Practitioner—Treatment of Poisoning 24 CHAPTER IV. Detection of Poisons 28 CHAPTER V. Classification of Poisons 32 CHAPTER VI. The Concentrated Mineral Acids 36 CHAPTER VII. The Corrosive Vegetable Acids 43 CHAPTER VIII. The Caustic Alkalies and their Carbonates: Potash, Soda, Ammonia 48 CHAPTER IX. Salts of the Alkalies and Alkaline Earths 52 CHAPTER X. Salts of the Metals: Zinc—Silver—Tin—Bismuth—Chrome—Iron 54 CHAPTER XI. Simple Vegetable and Animal Irritants 57 CHAPTER XII. Irritant Gases 59 CHAPTER XIII. Iodine and Iodide of Potassium 61 CHAPTER XIV. Phosphorus 63 CHAPTER XV. Arsenic and its Compounds 66 CHAPTER XVI. Antimonial Compounds 78 CHAPTER XVII. Mercury and its Compounds 81 CHAPTER XVIII. Preparations of Lead 85 CHAPTER XIX. Salts of Copper 89 CHAPTER XX. Specific Vegetable Irritants 92 CHAPTER XXI.