Medical jurisprudence for India : with illustrative cases / by I.B. Lyons ; rev. and brought up-to-date by L.A. Waddell.

I. B. Lyon

Date:: 1904

Credit: Medical jurisprudence for India : with illustrative cases / by I.B. Lyons ; rev. and brought up-to-date by L.A. Waddell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

664/746 page 626

$last forcible expiration ; after such a shriek power of speech, &c., no longer remains. 3. Presence of hydrocyanic acid in various articles of foo^. — Amygdalin, yielding hydrocyanic acid by its decomposition, is contained in the seeds, leaves, and flowei’s, and sometimes the bark, of most species of the sub-orders Amygdalm and Pomece of the N. <J. Ronacece. Its presence in the following may be specially noted ;—in bitter {but not in sweet) almonds, in apple and pear pips ; in plum, damson, cherry, peach, apricot, and quince kernels ; and also (apparently) in loquat seeds. The presence of hydrocyanic acid ready formed, in the root of the jatropha manihot, has already been mentioned (]r. 512). It is estimated that 210 grains of bitter almond pulp, 333 grains of cherry kernels, and from about 1,200 to 2,200 grains of apple pips, are required to yield a quantity of hydi'ocyanic icid equal to 30 minims of the B.P. ■dilute acid.' Kir schwa ssev, a brandy distilled from wild cherries, contains hydrocyanic acid to the extent, it is said, of L to 4 grains in a pint. Hydrocyanic acid is also contained in chlorodyne (see p. 555). Fatal period and dose.—Large doses have been found to kill the lower animals almost instantaneously. In man death occurs less rai)idly, hut has occurred as early as the second minute, and as late as one and a half hours after swallowing the ])oison. When the dose is 1-^ drachms or more of the B.P. acid, the aA^erage fatal period is two to ten minutes, he smallest dose which has proA'^ed fatal to an adult is 0'9 grains of anhydrous acid, death occurring in twenty minutes ; recovery has, however, taken place from 2 4 grains. One grain of the anhydrous acid may, but will not necessarily, prove fatal. In estimating the amount taken, it is important to recollect that dro])S and minims are not necessarily the same. Woodman and Tidy state that 10 diops of liAdio- cyanic acid equal on an average 20 minims.^^ It may be further noted that dilution seems to make no difference to the action of the poison, hut exhaustion from any cause, such as fatigue, favours its action ; also that, although it has been asserted that hydrocyanic acid may act as a cumulative poison, the weight of evidence is greatly against its so acting. Treatment.—The, best antidote is a mixture of a ferrous and ferric salt, with a little caustic soda or potash or, if <;austic alkali is not obtainable, with carbonate of soda. Inhalation of chlorine, e.g., from a mixture of chloride of lime and dilute acid held near the nostrils, is also useful, ihe other indications are to jiromote vomiting, to endeavour to restore ■ Peach kernels conlain rather less amygdalin tlyan cherry kernels ; plum kernels contain rather more amygdalin than apple P'P®;, . f tincture According to the same authorities, ten drops of opium equal five to six minims, and ten drops of the following tinctures equal six to eight minims aconite, digitalis, and liyoscyamus.$