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.

669/746 page 631

$iniuasio AND CAK130NIC ACIDS. fi81 (lid not (lie until after ten days’ illness.—{Medicine, February 1889), p. 174. Potassium Perrocyanide.—Yellow j.ru.ssiate of potash, under ordinary circumstances, is either not poisonous, or only very feebly poison- ous. When acted on by acids, however, it yields HCy. In one case, death resulted from swallowing a dose of this salt followed by one of tartaric acid ; and in another, from swallowing a dose of the salt, followed by a mi.xture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. Other ferrocyanides probably act similarly to potassium ferrocyanide. Potassium Sulphocyanide is poisonous, but not very active. The Cyanates (from cyanic acid, HCNO) are asserted to be non-poisonous. Cyanuric acid, however, Rlyth states, causes symptoms and effects similar to those produced by hydrocyanic acid. Other Cardiac poisons.—In addition to the foregoing, thefollov,-- ing vegetable irritants already described appear to possess an action on the heart similar to that possessed by digitalin :—Scillitin, the active principle of squill, and probably also Supei bine, fron) Gloriosa superha. Helleborein, from Helleborus niger and H. viride. Anemonin, from Anemone pulsatilla, &c., and Adonidin, from Adonis vernalis. An action on the heart similar to that of digitalin appears also to be possessed by the following ;—Antiarin, a glucoside contained in Antiaris toxicaria, a native of Java, where the milky juice of the plant is used as an arrow poison. Strophantin, a poisonous princi])le contained in Strophantus hispidus, N. O. Apocynacece. Apocynin, a poisonous principle contained in the root of Apocynum cannahinum. Erythrophleine, an alkaloid obtained from the bark of Erythro- phloeum ginneense, a native of West Africa. Euonymin, a glucoside contained in Euonymns atropurpureus; and by Tanghinia veneni- fera, or Madagascar ordeal poison. Saponin and several vegetable irritants, appear to possess an action on the heart similar to that possessed by digitonin. ASPHYXIANTS. Carbon dioxide. Carbonic Acid Gas.—Tlii.s ous is a product of respiration, combustion, and fermentation” iind of the decomposition of organic matter. It is also evolved durincx the decomposition ot carbonates by lieat, as in lime-burning ; or by acids, as in the chemical ])reparation of the gas. Poisonincr flat bon dioxide is usually at^cidental. In some c^ountries however, e.cj., h ranee, exposure to the fumes arising from a pan ot burning charcoal placed in a room, the door, windows, &c., ot vyhich have been tightly (dosed, is a favourite method of committing suicide. (See also Carbon monoxide.) Accidental cases may arise from carbon dioxide disengaged in any of the ways mentioned above ; for example, from carbon rfioxide evolved as a product of (1) Respiration, as when they occur in consequence of a number of persons sleeping in a small, badly-ventilated$