A dictionary of domestic medicine and household surgery / by Spencer Thomson.
- Thomson Spencer, -1886.
- Date:
- 1883
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of domestic medicine and household surgery / by Spencer Thomson. 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.
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![the poison as possible evacuated from the stomach; it is seldom necessary to produce vomiting, that most generally comes on soon; but if it has not done so, iive-aud-tweuty grains of white vitriol,—sulphate of zinc,—if procur- able, should be given at once, in a little water; if this is not done, a table-spoonful of mustard in water, or tickling the throat with a feather, should be resorted to; milk, which by its coagulation may envelope the poison, or thick mucilaginous di-inks, olive oil, alone or mixed Avith lime water, may, any or all, be given, and with them, magnesia. The great object must be, to clear the stomach of the poison _ as thoroughly and speedily as possible, for unlike many other poisons, there is no chemical anti- dote to arsenic which can be relied on. A pre- paration of iron has been vaunted, but it is of doubtful efficacy; if either this, or the stomach pump is used, it will be in medical hands. In following the directions akeady given, the friends or neighbours of the poisoned person will be doing good service. Should the patient sm-vive, and pass on to the second stage of ar- senical poisoning, inflammation of the stomach, nervous symptoms, &c., will perhaps end life, or recovery may follow, but these changes must necessarily be attended to under medical guid- ance. White arsenic is not the only prepara- tion of the metal by which poisoning occurs; the colouring substances known by the name of King's yellow, and Scheele's green, are both compoimds of arsenic, and being frequently, and culpably, used in confectionery, have proved fatal. Similar symptoms occur, and similar treatment is to be followed as after poisoning by white arsenic. Whether in poisoning by arsenic, or by any other agent, the vomited matters should always be carefully- preserved in a vessel by themselves, for medi- cal inspection; and if there is any suspicion of foul play, some responsible person should place them under lock and key. The anti- septic properties of arsenic tend to prevent the decay of the tissues after death. As a medical agent, it is employed in the form known as Fowler's solution, a compound of carbonate of potash with arsenious acid, and in doses of three to eight minims. It is the remedy in most favour in such skin diseases as epzema, psoriasis, pemphigus, and lichen. It is also used as an antiperiodic in ague and neuralgia, but it must be limited to professional hands. The tests for the detection of arsenic are • numerous and accurate. The best are Marsh's, by which the metal may be separated from a solution, and deposited on a piece of porcelain; the ammonio-nitrate of silver test, which will detect rrrfiw of a grain of arsenic in a mixture; and sulphuretted hydrogen gas, which, passed throuo-h a solution of arsenious acid throws down a golden yellow sublimate that may be further reduced. . . Did those who perpetrate the crime of poison- ing by arsenic, know beforehand with what cer- 38 tainty the analyst can separate for exhibitioa in a court of justice, tlie instrument of their wickedness, perhaps from the body of the victim, years after it liad lieen ljuried: selfish fear, if no other consideration, might stop the deed. An Act to Regulate the Sale of Arsenic, 14 Viot. cap. 12. Whereas the unrestricted sale of Arsenic facilitatea the commission of crime : Be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the ad- vice iind consent of the Lords Spiritual and 'J'emporal and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : I. Every person who shall sell aiiy Arsenic shall forthwith and before the delivery of such Arsenic to the Pui'chaser, enter or cause to l5fe entered in a fair and regular manner, in a Book or Books to be kept by such person for that pui-pose, in the form set forth in the Schedule to this Act, or to the like effect, a state- ment of such sale, with the quantity of Arsenic so sold, and the purpose for which such Arsenic is required or stated to be required, and the day of the month and year of the Sale, and the name, place of abode, and condition or occupation of the Purchaser, into all which circumstances the person selling such Arsenic is hereby requii-ed and authorized to inquire of the Purchaser before the delivery to such Purchaser of the Arsenic sold, and such entries shall in every case be signed by the person making the same, and shall also be signed by the Purchaser, unless such Pur- chaser profess to be unable to write [in which case the person making the entries hereby required shall add to the particulars to be entered in relation to such sale, the words cannot write]. And when a Witness is hereby required to the Sale, shall also be signed by such Witness, together with his place of abode. II. No person shall sell Arsenic to any person who is unknown to the person sellmg such Ai-senic, unless the Sale be made in the presence of a person who is known to the person selling tlie Arsenic, and to whom the Purchaser is known, and who signs his name, to- gether with his place of abode, to such entries before the delivery of the Arsenic to the Purchaser, and no person shall seU Arsenic to any person other than a person of full age. III. No person shall sell any Arsenic unless the same be before the Sale thereof mixed with Soot or Indigo, in the proportion of one ounce of Soot or half- an ounce of Indigo at the least to one pound of Arsenic, and so in proportion for any greater or less quantity: provided always that where such Arsenic is stated by the Purchaser to be required not for the use of Agriculture, but for some other purpose for which such admixture would, according to the repre- sentation of the Purchaser, render it unfit, such Arsenic may be sold without admixture in a quantity of not less than ten pounds at any one time. IV. If any person shall sell any Arsenic, save as authorized by this Act, or on any sale of Arsenic shall deliver the same without having made and signed the entries hereby required on such sale, or Avithout hav- ing obtataed such signature or signatures to such entries as required by this Act, or if any person purchas- ing any Arsenic shall give false information to the person selling the same in relation to the particulars which such last-mentioned person is hereby author- ized to inquire into of such Purchaser, or if any person shall sign his name as aforesaid as a Witness to a sale of Arsenic to a person unknown to the person so sign- ing as Witness, every person so offending shall for every such offence, upon a summary conviction for the same before Two Justices of the Peace in E7igland or Ireland, or before two Justices of the Peace or the Sheriff of Scotland, be liable to a penalty not exceed- ing Twenty Pounds. V. Provided that this Act shall not extend to the Sale of Arsenic when the same forms part of the Ingredi- ents of any Medicine required to be made up or com- pounded according to the prescription of a legally qualified Medical Practitioner, or a member of the Medical Profession, or to the sale of Arsenic by Whole-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21713650_0058.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
