A TREATISE ON POISONS IN RELATION TO MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE, PHYSIOLOGY, AND THE PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. BY ROBERT CHRISTISON, M.D., F.R.S.E., Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Edinburgh, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, &c., Member of the American Philosophical Society,—of the Royal Acad. of Med. of Paris,—of the Imp. Soc. of Physicians of Vienna,—of the Imp. Med. Chir. Acad. of St. Petersburg,—of the Med. Chir. Soc. of Berlin,—of the Med. Chir. Assoc, of Hamburg,—of the Soc. of Nat. and Phys. of Heidelberg,—of the Philadelphia Coll. of Pharm. FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE FOURTH EDINBURGH EDITION. PHILADELPHIA: ED. BARRINGTON & GEO. D. HASWELL. 1845. PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. [Illustration] The author regrets that circumstances beyond his control have delayed the re-appearance of the present work beyond the period at which it was called for by the favourable reception of the last edition. He has endeavoured to take advantage of the numerous investigations which have been carried on during the interval into the several departments of Toxicology in the leading countries of Europe; and has in consequence been led to enlarge the work materially. He trusts it may be allowed him to express his satisfaction at finding, that the rapid progress made by Toxicological science during the last eight years, while it has been productive of many important additions to our knowledge, has nevertheless not rendered any important alterations necessary either in the general principles formerly laid down in this work, or in what had been there stated as well ascertained general facts. EDINBURGH COLLEGE, _November, 1844_. CONTENTS. PART FIRST.—OF GENERAL POISONING. PAGE CHAP. I. Of the Physiological Action of Poisons 9 SECTION 1. Of their Mode of Action 9 Of the Discovery of Poisons in the Blood 21 SECTION 2. Of the Causes which modify their Action 27 Application of the preceding observations to the Treatment of Poisoning 36 CHAP. II. Of the Evidence of General Poisoning 39 SECTION 1. Of the Evidence from Symptoms 42 Characters of the Symptoms of Poisoning 42 Characters of the Symptoms of Natural Disease 46