Treatise on Poisons: In relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physicChristison, Robert, Sir
Science
Treatise on Poisons: In relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physic
Christison, Robert, Sir
Medical jurisprudence; Toxicology
_Phosphorous acid_, the effects of which have been examined
experimentally by Professor Hünefeld of Greifswalde, differs in its
operation from phosphoric acid. Twenty-five grains had no effect on a
rabbit; but a drachm caused difficult breathing, restlessness, bloody
vomiting, slight convulsions, and death in twelve hours; and the stomach
was found not much injured. The urine contained phosphoric acid.[327]
_Of Poisoning with Sulphur._—It does not appear that sulphur, which
resembles phosphorus in many particulars, bears any resemblance to it in
physiological properties;—which may be ascribed to its not being
susceptible of spontaneous acidification. It certainly possesses,
however, slight irritating properties. It is often given as a purgative,
which is sufficient to prove that it is not altogether inert; and the
veterinary school at Lyons found that a pound killed horses by producing
violent inflammation, recognizable during life by the symptoms, and
after death by the morbid appearances.[328]
_Of Poisoning with Chlorine._—Chlorine in its gaseous state acts
powerfully as an irritant on the windpipe and lungs, and on that account
will be noticed under the head of the poisonous gases. But even in
solution it retains to a certain degree its poisonous qualities. Orfila
says that five ounces of a strong solution of chlorine will kill a dog
in twenty-four hours, if it is kept in the stomach by a ligature, and
that two ounces diluted with twice its volume of water will prove fatal
in four days;—that the symptoms are those of irritation of the
stomach;—and that in the former case he found general redness and
blackness—in the latter ulceration of its villous coat.[329]
OF POISONING WITH IODINE.
Iodine is a poison of more consequence than chlorine, both because it is
becoming a more common article, and because it is more violent in its
effects on the animal economy.
_Tests of Iodine._—Iodine when pure is a solid substance easily known by
its scaly form, its resemblance in colour and resplendence to polished
iron, its peculiar odour, the violet fumes it forms when heated, and the
fine blue colour it produces with a solution of starch. It is very
sparingly soluble in water, but readily so in rectified spirit and in
aqueous solutions of certain salts, more especially the iodide of
potassium. Its ordinary forms in the shops are iodine itself, the
tincture, and the compound solution, where the solvent is a solution of
iodide of potassium in water. It stains the skin brownish-yellow; but
the stain is not permanent. Its fumes are intensely irritating to the
nostrils, throat, and lungs.
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