On an antidote at once for prussic acid, antimony, and arsenic / by Messrs. T. and H. Smith.
- Smith, T.
- Date:
- [1865]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: On an antidote at once for prussic acid, antimony, and arsenic / by Messrs. T. and H. Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![[Reprinl-edfrom the PitARMACEuriCAL Journal/o/ Ocloler, 1865.] ON AN ANTIDOTE AT ONCE FOR PliUSSIC ACID, ANTIMONY, AND AESENIC. BY MESSRS. T. AND H. SMITH. Notwithstanding the great number of years that have elapsed since the publication, in the ' Lancet,' of our paper containing an account of a method for counteracting the poisonous action of prussic acid when taken into the living stomach, and the favourable recognition it has received from the most eminent toxicologists, we are not aware of an instance in which it has had any application to the saving of life, except in a case which occurred in our own experience, when, by our prompt supply of the antidote, the life of a lady was no doubt saved. She had swallowed a solution of cyanide of potas- sium in mistake for a solution of muriate of morphia, both these solutions being in her bedroom, and properly labelled. No bad effects followed the unfortunate mistake. Our experiments on dogs, detailed in our paper in the ' Lancet,' proved beyond a doubt that this antidote is complete and certain. The dogs that got the poison without the antidote died. The dogs that got the antidote after the poison, lived and did well. In all cases, a much larger dose than a merely dangerous one was given, and no prussic acid could be recovered, by distillation, from the stomachs of the dead dogs. Cases of poisoning by prussic acid are frequent enough; but death takes place with such frightful rapidity, that this antidote is almost sure to be unattainable within the brief period in which it could be at all of any service; and that more especially, because the antidote requires to be expressly prepared; its being in readiness for a contingency which may never occur, not being likelj^, except with ourselves, and, perhaps, one or two others. While thinking over this matter, it has occurred to us, that in liquor ferri perchloridi of the British Pharmacopoeia, a remedy may be found for the obstacles that have hitherto existed to the use of the prussic acid antidote. We proceed to show that the time taken to supply the antidote need not be greater than would be necessary to weigh out and measure two or three articles always at hand. The principle of the action of the antidote is exceedingly simple and easily imderstood ; at least, if certain theoretical views be put aside, and the reaction with prussic acid be merely considered as a simple case of double decomposition, which results in the formation, in the stomach, of the harmless compound known as Prussian blue. The formula of Prussian blue is 2 (Fej, Cyg) + 3 (Fe, Cy); showing that 7 equivalents of iron and 9 equivalents of cyanogen are con- tained in one equivalent of the compound. To produce this compound with the prussic acid there are required 7 equivalents of iron in the form of a solu- ble compound, of which four equivalents must be in the state of persalt, and 3 equivalents in the state of protosalt. The ready means of obtaining this solution are supplied in the liq. ferri perchloridi, and protosulphate of iron or green vitriol. It is easy to find the quantity of the perchloride solution, con- taining m grains, 4 equivalents of iron. 2 ounces, or 875 grains, are coii- tained in 10 fluid ounces of the solution. Keeping now in mind that 4 equi- valents of iron must be in the state of peroxide, or perchloride, which is equi-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21480126_0004.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
