Treatise on Poisons: In relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physicChristison, Robert, Sir
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Treatise on Poisons: In relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physic
Christison, Robert, Sir
Medical jurisprudence; Toxicology
Another, somewhat similar to the preceding, has been related by M.
Lachèse of Angers. Two people took about half a grain in soup twice a
day for two days, and were attacked with the usual primary symptoms. One
of them died in ten weeks, gradually worn out, but without any
particular nervous affection. The other was seized with convulsions, and
afterwards with almost complete palsy of the limbs.[665]—A well-marked
case of the same nature has been noticed by Professor Bernt. It was the
case formerly alluded to as arising from an over-dose of the arseniate
of potass. The paralytic affection consisted in the loss of sensation
and of the power of motion in the hands, and of the loss of motion in
the feet, with contraction of the knee-joints. The issue of the case is
not mentioned.[666]—Dr. Falconer observes in his essay on Palsy, that he
had repeatedly witnessed local palsy after poisoning with arsenic, and
alludes to one instance in which the hands only were paralysed, and to
two others in which the palsy spread gradually from the fingers upwards
till the whole arms were affected.[667]—On the whole, then, local palsy
is the most frequent of the secondary effects of arsenic.
It is sometimes very obstinate, as the cases related by Dehaen and
Murray will show. But it even appears to be sometimes incurable. For in
the German Ephemerides there is related the case of a cook, who after
suffering from the usual inflammatory symptoms, was attacked with
perfect palsy of the limbs, and had not any use of them during the rest
of her life, which was not a short one.[668]
Occasionally, instead of being palsied, the limbs are rigidly bent and
cannot be extended.[669] They were contracted, as well as palsied in the
case noticed by Bernt.
The last nervous affection to be mentioned is mania. The only instance I
have hitherto found of that disease arising from arsenic is related by
Amatus Lusitanus. He has not recorded the particulars of the case, but
merely observes that the individual became so outrageously mad as to
burst his fetters and jump out of the window of his apartment.[670]
According to Zacchias, Amatus was not very scrupulous in his adherence
to fact in recording cases.
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