A manual of medical diagnosis / by A.W. Barclay.

  • Andrew Whyte Barclay
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of medical diagnosis / by A.W. Barclay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    f ! rrrounding objects and circumstances, in one who is offering from epileptic sojior. At a further stage the complete coma may closely re- umble sanguineous apoplexy. Here we have regard to jee suddenness of the seizure, the existence of any degree c consciousness, and the absence or presence of paralysis. the patient can be roused at all, and there be no irralysis, the probability is in favour of poisoning by ? ilium ; if the seizure appear to have been sudden, in wour of apoplexy. Ecpial contraction of both pupils I' mints to poisoning, unequal contraction or dilatation ' apoplexy. Intoxication, when of such a degree as to ?) classed among cases of narcotic jioisoning, may gene- iillly be distinguished by the odour of the breath. Hydrocyanic acid is extremely sudden in its action; laere is less of coma and more of convulsion accom- iinyiiig the condition of unconsciousness. It very tten reveals itself by its powerful odour. I c. The gaseous poisons, while they oppress the brain, C voducing chiefly a comatose state, also prevent the ^proper oxygenation of the blood, and are therefore . loecially marked by lividity of face. The place where I me person is found, and the sense of suffocation expe- I fenced by those who attempt to rescue him, seldom ; vave any room for doubt. j d. ISloio jjoisoning.—Attention has recently been I 'ivived to this mode of the employment of poison, j because of the suspicion that it has been carried to a j atal issue, in more than one instance, with impunity, j I t was sujiposed to have been very generally practised !(}' the poisoners of former ages; but the light of i ' lienee has shown how very few of the poisons can be ) used, and how very readily they may be detected, sus])icion be only awakened. Antimony and arseiuc j re those which have been recently employed: the ! ormer may be very readily disguised; the latter equires more ingenuity for its concealment. One of i lie most striking features of the cases recorded was ' j he entire ce.ssation of the symptoms in the absence of I 1