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.

    215/248 page 187
    Morbid Appearances. The mouth, oesophagus, and stomach are of a deep red colour, and partially covered with extravasated blood; they are also often perforated in many places. Test. When any of the acid which has been used as the poison remains, it is readily detected by its sensible qualities, and by the white dense fumes of hydrochlorate of ammonia, which are formed when a glass rod dipped in ammonia is approached to it. If mixed with wine, or other coloured fluids, it may be detected by distilling (he suspected fluid from a small retort over a candle, into a phial containing a solu- tion of nitrate of silver; the chloride of silver will be thus formed, which is known by its solubility in ammonia, and its insolubility in nitric acid. If the contents of the stomach or the vomited matter only can be procured, boil these for three-quarteis of an hour in combina- tion with a dilute solution of pure potassa, and precipitate the filtered fluid with nitrate of silver, which will form the chloride of silver, if the poison be hydrochloric acid. Treatment. Administer immediately soap and calcined magnesia, mixed in bland demulcent fluids. Give, freely, emollient diluents, and employ antiphlogistic means to overcome the inflammatory symptoms that supervene, when the poison does not prove very soon fatal. MURIATE or HYDROCHLORATE OF BARYTA, or CHLO- RIDE OF BARIUM. (Barii Chloridum.) A corrosive mineral poison. Sympto?ns. Violent vomiting, accompanied with excruciating, burning pains of the stomach and bowels; vertigo, stupor, paralysis of the lower extremities, convulsions, and death. Independent of its corro- sive property, it acts on the brain and nervous system ; the action of the heart is rapid and intermitting; respiration is momentarily sus- pended; the pupils dilate, and insensibility supervenes. Morbid Appearances. Evidences of inflammation of the mucous mem- brane of the stomach throughout its whole extent. Tests. If any of the poison be found, chloride of barium may be detected in it by dropping into it a little sulphuric acid, when a white precipi- tate will be formed, which is insoluble in nitric acid, or by the sus- pected fluid yielding with nitrate of silver a white curdled or clotted precipitate, insoluble in water and in nitric acid, but soluble in pure liquid ammonia. If the menstruum be red wine or coffee, the mixture is turbid; it should be filtered, and its colour destroyed by chlorine before testing it. The excess of chlorine, however, must be pre- viously dissipated by heat, when the nitrate of silver is employed as a test. Treatment. As soon as possible, dilute largely with bland fluids holding in solution sulphate of soda or of magnesia: for these salts decompose the chloride of barium, and form an inert insoluble sulphate in the stomach; then excite vomiting by irritating the fauces; afterwards treat the case as one of gastric inflammation. *** The other barytic salts produce nearly the same effects on the animal economy as the chloride; and therefore these intructions refer equally to cases of poisoning by the nitrate and the carbonate of baryta, or by pure baryta. MURIATE—HYDROCHLORATE OF ANTIMONY—BUTTER OF ANTIMONY. (Hydrochloras Antimonii.) A corrosive mineral poison. Symptoms. Excruciating pains of the stomach, violent vomiting, hy- percatharsis, convulsions, syncope, and death. Morbid Appearances. The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is inflamed throughout, and in some places eroded and gan- grenous. The brain also presents evidences of having suffered from strong inflammatory excitement. Test. Mix the suspected substance with carbonate of potassa and charcoal, and calcine the mixture; the result should be chloride of potassium, metallic antimony, and carbonic acid gas. The butter of
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