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.

    213/248 page 185
    Symptoms. Uneasiness of stomach, followed by nausea and a burning pain in that organ ; vomitings, cephalalgia, vertigo, tremors. Morbid Appearances. The stomach contracted ; ecchymosed spots on its lining membrane ; slight ulcerations ; some traces of inflammation in the intestinal tube. Tests. The crystals of the salts are cubes, of an acrid, sharp taste, slightly deliquescent; its solution, mixed wilh starch and treated with chlorine or with nitrous acid, forms the blue Iodide of Amidine, the bichloride of mercury forms a beautiful scarlet precipitate of the biniodide of mercury. Test the urine, after mixing it with starch, with gaseous chlorine. This gas will detect 1 part in 1,500,000 of urine, which should be cold before it is tested. Treatment. The same as in cases of poisoning by iodine. IODIDES OF MERCURY. (Hydrargyri Protiodidum et Biniodi- dum.) Symptoms. Nearly the same as those produced by bichloride of mer- cury. Tests. When the protiodide is heated in a glass tube, it evolves vapour of iodine ; if previously mixed with potassa, the heating sub- limes metallic mercury, and leaves iodide ot potassium. The binio- dide sublimes yellow when heated, and changes to red as it cools; in other respects it may be tested in the same manner as the protiodide. Treatment. The same as in cases of poisoning by corrosive sublimate. LAUDANUM. See Opium. LAUREL WATER. {Aqua Distillata Cerasi Lauro-cerasi.) A narcotic vegetable poison, deriving its poisonous powers from 1 ydro- cyanic acid. Symptoms. Sudden death, without vomiting, convulsions, or any of the other symptoms which usually precede it in cases of poisoning. In- sensibility when the death is not very sudden. In some instances, violent pain of the stomach has been complained of immediately before the fatal event. Morbid Appearances. Very slight appearances of redness in the stomach ; but all the other organs are in a natural state. Test. Strong smell of bitter almonds. The hydrocyanic acid which it contains is readily rendered ohvious, which, added to its odour, enables the poison to be satisfactorily detected. See Prussic Acid. Treatment. The fatal effect of this poison is so quickly produced, that little opportunity is afforded for the trial of antidotes. Biandy, ammonia, and other cordials may prove useful. Chlorine has been proposed. LIME. {Calx.) A corrosive mineral poison. Symptoms. Great heat of the throat, nausea, vomiting, epigastralgia, and insupportable colic, with all the symptoms which characteriseln- flammation of the stomach and intestines. Morbid Appearances. Intense inflammation of all the membranes with which the poison has come in contact- Test. If any of the poison be found, pour over it distilled water ; then stop the vessel closely from the atmospherical air, and after some time filter the supernatant fluid. If this have a strong, acrid, styptic taste, if it change to green the vegetable blues, and be prec ipitated by oxalic acid, and if, on exposure to the air, a pellicle be formed which is solu- ble with effervescence in vinegar or any acid, we may pronounce the poison to be lime. If none of the poison be found, and nevertheless it is suspected to be lime, calcine the contents of the stomach and bowels, and treat the residue as above directed. Treatment. Vinegar, lemon juice, or any vegetable acid, should be freely administered, and then demulcents ; employing bleeding, and every means that can reduce the inflammatory action excited in the abdominal viscera. MEADOW SAFFRON. (Colchici Autumnalis, semina et cormus.) An acro-narcotic vegetable poison, deriving its powers from colchicia.
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