Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Thomson's Conspectus of the British pharmacopoeias. Source: Wellcome Collection.
209/248 page 181
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Thomson's Conspectus of the British pharmacopoeias. Source: Wellcome Collection.
![repeated doses. The albumen decomposes the corrosive sublimate, and reduces it to a state of calomel, and the protoxide, which, acting on the bowels, carries itself off by purging. The poison is also re- duced to calomel by a mixture of soap and the gluten of wheat flour. Bleeding is requisite if the pulse be quick and hard. The warm bath may also be employed; and during convalescence the patient should subsist altogether on broths, milk, and demulcent fluids. CREASOTE. An acrid poison. Symptoms. It operates as a powerful topical excitant, causing inflam- mation of the tissue with which it comes in contact, and destroying life by the nervous sympathy it induces. Tests. Distinguished by its odour, that of smoked meat and tar. It instantly coagulates albumen. Treatment. Administer freely white of eggs, then give direct emetics ; and treat the inflammatory symptoms as in a case of gastritis. CUSPARIA, FALSE. Supposed to be the bark of Strychnos nux vomica. The symptoms it causes are similar to those from nux vomica. Test. Pieces rough, covered with a whitish dust: they have no odour, are intensely bitter, heavy, resinous in the fracture, inner surface reddened to blood colour by nitric acid; the infusion reddens litmus ; sesquichloride of iron changes it to green] ferrocyanate of potassa to grass green. Treatment. See Nux Vomica. CYCLAMEN. See Sow Bread. DEADLY NIGHTSHADE or DWALE. (Atropa Belladonna.) An acro-narcotic vegetable poison. Symptoms. A sense of great dryness and constriction of the pharynx and oesophagus: sickness, vertigo, dilated pupils and dimness of sight; laughter, delirium, redness and tumefaction of the face; convulsions. The stomach and bowels become sometimes so paralyzed, that vomit- ing can scarcely be produced by the most powerful emetics ; and death follows. Morbfd Appearances. The body swells greatly after death, whilst blood flows from the nose, mouth, and ears, and rapid putrefaction ensues. The stomach and intestines display marks of high inflammatory action, and the vessels of the brain are generally found turgid with blood. Test. There is no chemical test for ascertaining the presence of this poison in food; but the botanical characters both of the leaves and the fruit should be familiar to every practitioner. The berries, which are most likely to be eaten by children, are large, roundish, with a longi- tudinal furrow on each side, of a very deep purple colour, smooth, shining, and seated within a permanent green flower-cup or calyx. Their taste is sweet and agreeable. Treatment. Give emetics of sulphate of zinc or of copper; then evacuate the bowels by active purgatives and clysters; and follow these by large doses of vinegar and water, or other vegetable acids. The previous use of vinegar has been recommended, and it is said the emetics act with more certainty after its use; after the vomiting strong coffee proves very efficacious. DIGITALIS. See Foxglove. ELATERIUM. (Momordicce Elaterii, fructus et fecula.) An acro- narcotic poison. Symptoms. Violent sickness, vomiting, and hypercatharsis ; the stools being of the most watery consistence; and followed by sudden and excessive debility, cold clammy sweats, and death. Morbid Appearances. When the dose has been very large, the whole mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines appears in some degree inflamed; but when the fruit has been eaten, or the dose of the elaterium which has been taken is small, the rectum only presents marks of inflammatory action. Test. No tests are known for detecting this poison ; the elaterium can R](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20407142_0211.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
