Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medical jurisprudence / by Alfred Swaine Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
40/968 (page 26)
![tion produced by arsenic in the stomach and duodenum in an exhumed body twenty-eight days after interment {Key. v. Jm- niiujs, Berks Lent Ass. 1845) ; and in another instance, referred to me by Mr. Lewis, the coroner for Essex, in August 1S4G, the reddened state of the mucous membrane, in a case of arse- nical poisoning, was plainly perceptible on removing a layer of arsenic, nincieen montlis after interment. (See, on this question, a case of suspected poisoning by Orfila, Annales d'Hyg. 18.39, vol. 1. p. 127.) If, however, there should be a reasonable doubt respecting the cause of the redness, it would be unsafe to rely upon this appearance as evidence of poisoning, unless poison were detected. Ulceration.—In irritant poisoning, the stomach is occasionally found ulcerated: but this is, comparatively speaking, a rare occurrence. In such cases the mucous membrane is removed in small distinct circular patches, under the edges of which the poison (arsenic) may be found. Ulceration of the stomach is a more common result of disease, than of the action of poison. As a consequence of disease, it is very insidious, going on often for weeks together, without giving any indications of its ex- istence, except perhaps slight gastric disturbance, with occa- sional nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. In this case tlie ulceration is commonly seen in small circimiscribed patches. It is worthy of remark, as a means of distinction, that ulcera- tion has never been known to take place from arsenic or any irritant poison, until symptoms indicative of irritant poisoning have occurred. In ulceration from disease, the mucous mem- brane is commonly only reddened in the neighbourhood of the ulcer. In ulceration from ])oison, the redness is generally diffused over other parts of the stomach, as well as over the duodenum and small intestines. A case, however, occurred in (Juy's Hospital, some years ago, in which, with a small circular patch of ulceration near the cardiac opening, the whole mucous membrane was red and injected : but this singular condition of the stomach, so closely resembling the etVocts of an irritant poison, was unaccom])anied by any marked symptoms of irrita- tion during life. The history of a case previous to death will thus commonly enable \is to determine, to what cause the nU-erntion found, may be due. Care nnist be taken to dis- tinguish ulceration from corrosion. Ulceration is a vital pmcess : the substance of a part is roniovwl by the absorbents as a simple result of inflammation. Corrosion, on the other hand, is a chemical action; — the parts are removed by the immediate contact of the poi.wn : they are decomposed: their vitality is destroyed, and they combine with the corrosive matter itself. Ulceration requires time for its establishment, while con-osion is either an instanlanco«is or a very rapid eifect. SoJ'tcniiuj.—'Jhe coats of the stom.ich arc not imfrcquently](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21935221_0040.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
