Thomson's Conspectus of the British pharmacopoeias.

  • Anthony Todd Thomson
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thomson's Conspectus of the British pharmacopoeias. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    204/248 page 176
    well as comparative tubes and glasses coated by treating the simple acid and its solution. All these tubes should be previously rolled up in paper, and sealed in the presence of the persons who assist in the testing. Treatment. Evacuate the stomach by the stomach-pump, using lime- water instead of distilled water: administer large draughts of tepid, mucilaginous fluids, or sugar and water, or chalk and water, or lime- water; avoid the use of alkalies; but administer charcoal and hy- drated sesquioxide of iron. (Ferrugo, E.) Afterwards combat the inflammatory symptoms by bleeding freely, both generally and locally; by tepid baths, emollient enemas, and narcotics. If the immediate fatal symptoms be averted, let the patient for a long time subsist wholly on farinaceous food, milk, and demulcents. *** All arsenical poisons operate nearly in the same manner as the arsenious acid; and consequently similar means are required for de- tecting their presence and counteracting their influence. ATROPA BELLADONNA. See Deadly Nightshade. BELLADONNA. See Deadly Nightshade. BICYAN1DE OF MERCURY, (HydrargyriBicyanidum.) An acrid mineral poison. Symptoms. They closely resemble those of poisoning by corrosive sub- limate, accompanied with severe vomiting, mercurial ulceration of the mouth, salivation, powerful action of the heart, diarrhoea, sup- pression of urine, demi-erection, and an ecchymosed appearance of the penis and scrotum, convulsions, and death. Tests. When any of the poison remains, it is recognised by its quad- rangular prismatic crystals, with oblique summits, and its styptic taste. When heated in a small tube closed at one end, and drawn out to a point at the other, it is decomposed, mercury sublimes, and cy- anogen gas is given off, and burns with a violet flame. Its solution is decomposed by a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, and sulphuret of mercury and hydrocyanic acid are formed. Treatment. The same as in cases of poisoning by bichloride of mer- cury. BLISTERING FLIES. {Cantharis Vesicatoria.) An acrid animal poison. Symptoms. Nausea; vomiting and purging, the matter ejected in either case being frequently bloody and purulent; acute epigastralgia; writhing colic; great heat and irritation of the bladder and urinary organs, accompanied with the most painful priapism; the pulse is quick and hard; and, although thirst is often great, yet there is, oc- casionally, a horror of liquids. If these symptoms be not soon relieved, they are followed by convulsions, tetanus, delirium, syncope, and death. Throughout the attack, the breath of the patient has a very peculiar, faint, sickly odour. Morbid Appearances. Inflammation and erosion of the stomach; the green shining particles of the powdered flies being sometimes seen adhering to the inner coat of the viscus, or mixed with its contents. The intestines also and the kidneys exhibit marks of inflammation; and these are still more evident in the bladder, particularly when the fatal result does not immediately supervene. Tests. The poisonous properties of the blistering fly depend on a pecu- liar principle, which has been named cantharidin; but the poison can be recognised by the appearance of the green shining particles, which are visible in the finest powder, and by the symptoms. The alcoholic solution is precipitated white by water, but the precipitate is again dissolved by an excess of water. Treatment. Copious dilution with milk and demulcent fluids, bleeding, the warm bath, opiate frictions, and clysters of mutton broth and opium. The administration of oily demulcents must be avoided. The best antidote is camphor, both iuternally administered and externally applied.
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