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
The stomach and intestines were not in the
slightest degree affected during life; and no morbid appearance could
be discovered in them after death,[652]—A similar instance not less
remarkable has been communicated to me by Mr. Macauley of Leicester,
where the individual died with narcotic symptoms only within two hours
after taking nearly a quarter of a pound of arsenic.—Another fatal in
four hours has been described by Mr. Wright, where the symptoms were
vomiting under the use of emetics, great exhaustion, feeble hurried
pulse, cold sweating, drowsiness and finally stupor. In this case the
quantity of arsenic taken was about an ounce.[653]—Another of the same
nature is recorded by Morgagni. An old woman stole and ate a cake,
which had been poisoned with arsenic for rats. She died in twelve
hours, suffering, says Morgagni, rather from excessive prostration of
strength than from pain or convulsions.[654]—The following case
related by M. Laborde is most remarkable in its circumstances. A young
woman was caught in the act of swallowing little fragments of arsenic,
and it afterwards appeared that she had been employed most of the day
in literally cracking and chewing lumps of it. When the physician
first saw her the countenance expressed chagrin and melancholy, but
not suffering. After being forced to drink she vomited a good deal,
but without uneasiness. Two hours afterwards her countenance was
anxious; but she did not make any complaint, and very soon resumed her
tranquillity. Five hours after the last portions of the poison were
taken she became drowsy, then remained perfectly calm for four hours
more, and at length on trying to sit up in bed, complained of slight
pain in the stomach, and expired without agony. A clot of blood was
found in the stomach.[655]—Dr. Platner of Pavia describes a case,
fatal probably in five hours, where the symptoms were a tranquil,
melancholic expression, great coldness, paleness of the features, slow
languid pulse, retarded respiration, and suppression of urine, but no
pain or swelling of the belly, and no diarrhœa till near death, when
there was one copious fluid evacuation.[656]—Lastly, Dr. Choulant has
related the case of an elderly female who got a thimbleful of arsenic
in soup, and died in eleven hours, affected with occasional, easy
vomiting, uneasiness, thirst, and undefinable uneasiness in the chest,
but without pain of any kind, or any other complaint.[657]
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