Show What Medicine Knows Today POISONS POISO S AND Am ANTIDOTES This and tho the other articles of ot this 1 series erles have been prepared by special specialists specialists and medical m men of ot high reputation reputation tion Each Kach contributor stands high in his field Professional ethics prohibit them from tram attaching their names but every statement Is made with the high highest highest est cst authority If It the average layman were asked to define the word poison polson he would probably say that It meant something which kills you if It you ou take it But that would be a very loose arid inaccurate Inac Inaccurate Inaccurate curate definition for tor there are plenty of ot true poisons which seldom If It ever cause death and plenty of ot other things such as aa ground glass for tor example wh which kh li cause death without being pol Poi Poisons sons pons The toxicologist more careful frames fram s a definition far tar more elaborate A poison polson he h says BaYS is a substance which by its chemical action under fixed conditions affects one or more vital organs of at some somo living being In such uth manner that the natural functions tire ore temporarily or permanently im impeded Impeded impeded or Inhibited This definition it will be observed is comprehensive enough to include not only the familiar external poisons such as morphine and carbolic acid but also the virulent vIr lent toxins secreted by the germs of disease and the poisons pro produced produced and retained in the body in the course of certain maladies such as indigestion In Indigestion Indigestion digestion cancer and Brights disease Again It excludes all aU merely mechanical cal irritants Yet again It takes cognizance cognizance zance of ot the fact tact that many sub which are absolutely absolute harmless In health and maturity strong coffee and nicotine for instance are true poisons ons of infancy In old age and In time of or illness The action of ot poisons upon the hu hump mp n body bod l is Is marked by many curious i Some Same of at them cause almost Instant death when injected under tho the Fk n and yet et have hac no effect at all when n into the stomach One such is issn sn Fn tko lo poison Injected by the fangs tangs of ot the serpent Into a minute wound in inthe inthe the akin Olein cin it causes rapid swelling pain paralysis suffocation and collapse but butIn butin butin In the intestinal tract it Is converted easily t lIy into substances that are quite harmless l Conversely there thre are poisons which are aro harmless and ex cx dangerous dang rous when swallowed sw To lh thlE ii s class belongs a constituent of fresh croton oil Injected under the skin it produces nothing more serious than a slight Inflammation tion Taken Into the stomach it causes death within a few hours This fact Is accounted for by b the theory that f itself Is harmless but that the juices of ot the stomach convert it Into a virulent poison polson the matter of at complicates the study of t poisons Ev F Every E Ee cry ery e one knows for example that one man is I able to drink ten times as much whisky as s another and with less dam damage damage age and that the cigar which seems mild to one man makes the other ill illIn In such cases habituation usually is the Important factor That is to say sa the theman theman theman man who drinks whisky dally acquires a sort of ot Immunity to the poisonous effects of or alcohol and so it takes more end and more whisky to make him drunk The small boys bo first cigar always s makes him sick but by the time he reaches his hundredth heis he is immune to nicotine I I But beside this progressive z which is noted among mor I and und as well as amon among drinkers and smokers there are other othor and more remarkable forms of ot To some persons for Instance the juice of at the strawberry is isa Isn isa a n poison polson and anil its ingestion is followed by the appearance of ot a troublesome rash and amI other distressing symptoms s Again there are persons who are poi pol poisoned polson poisoned son d in the exact meaning of the word vord by the meat of the lobster or by b mutton honey hone the scent of ot musk or orthe orth orthe the th odor of ot the common toad There Is Ison Ison on fO the th record the case of ot a man who fainted every Eve time he smelled violets and that of a woman who suffered from violent colic colle every time she drank cocoa or ate atc chocolate candy No o matter how active the poison polson the human body always alwa s makes a mighty effort to neutralize anti antl combat it H If It is taken by the mouth the stomach begins the battle by endeavor endeavoring endeavoring ing to expel l it Jn in bulk This is Is I why the thC great majority of poisons polson cause nausea why a dose far beyond the limit of safety frequently tails fails to re result ref salt sult f JIt fatally When the stomach falls in the fray It is 13 reinforced by the intestines liver livern n and kidneys The gives g ves forth secretions which tend to convert the invading poison into something harmless and the kidneys try to ex expel expel expel pel ft it It Acids for example are trans formed into their corresponding alka line salts most of ot which are and the strong are at tacked by the gastric and other juices and are so neutralized In a similar I manner Thus the body bod battles with Its ene mies Very often otten It wIns ins but some Borne times the attack of ot tho the poison polson Is so rapid and so violent that it must lose This happens ha pens when a strong mineral minerai I acid such as sulphuric or acid is taken into the stomach and when a violent and paralyzing poison sue such as prussic acid is Ingested The mineral acids burn the throat and eat through the walls of ot the ach before anything can be done to neutralize them The result Is an in jury comparable to that inflicted by y an explosive bullet Prussic acid does docs no not corrode the tissues but Its effect is none the less sure Within a few tew moments after atter it is swallowed the vie tim grows dizzy sees flashes of ot light and sinks into unconsciousness Death comes before help can be summoned The police pollee statistics of the principal American cities clUes show that the poisons poison most often taken accidentally or with will suicidal intent In this country are car bolic acid prussic acid corrosive sub opium and its derivatives mor morphine morphine morphine phine laudanum paregoric etc chlo chloral chloral chloral ral phosphorous arsenic strychnine and cocaine Following are brief directions fo for tor recognizing poisoning by these agents and for their toxic effects at least until medical aid can be sum summoned summoned summoned Carbolic Acid The lips swell and become discolored The patient vomits and is speechless ss suffering intense pain in the throat and stomach DizzIness Dizziness ness Is followed by fainting and spasms There is a profuse perspiration tion Administer large doses of ot alcohol alco alcohol alcohol hol epsom salts and whisky It is absolutely Impossible to give too much alcohol or whisky In case vom vomiting vomiting lUng follows so much the better Ap Apply Apply Apply ply the alcohol l or whisky to the swollen swollen swollen len lips and if it possible hurry the pa patient patient patient tient to a hospital In case the reme remedies remedIes remedies dies mentioned are not at hand use any brandy wine or liquor containing al at alcohol cohol coho I Prussic Acid This is an exceeding ly dangerous poison polson and as a rule death ensues so BO soon soon after atter it is taken that no remedial measures are possible The patient grows dizzy faints and a d ceases to breathe though the heart still sUIl beats Send for a physician at once Meanwhile if It peroxide of ot hydrogen the solution ordinarily used for gar gargling gargling gargling gling or for bleaching the hair hairIs is at i hour pour two t In a I glass of ot water and force the tho mixture down the patients throat If It breath breathIng breathIng breathing Ing has ceased try to start It again by moving the arms rhythmically up and down The percentage of at recover recoveries recoverIes recoveries ies is small Corrosive Sublimate The proper name of this substance Is mercuric bl bi or of ot mercury and it is extensively used as a germicide and antiseptic Ordinarily It Is sold In green tablets about half the size of ot a penny penn and three times as thick After Af er swallowing it the patient notices a metallic taste In his mouth and then a severe pain In the stomach Saliva flows freely treely Vomiting and diarrhoea appear Give the patient milk immediately immedi immediately immediately and the whites of three or four eggs and then try to Induce vomiting The after atter effects of ot poisoning by mer mercuric mercuric mer mercuric curic are severe Therefore it is important to send for tor medical aid ald even when the quantity swallowed has been small and apparent recovery has followed quickly Opium This is usually taken in the form of paregoric laudanum mor morphine morphine morphine phine or in some cure or pain mix mixture mixture mixture ture First comes a feeling te lIng of ot drowsiness drowsiness drowsiness ness then sleep then collapse and death If permanganate of ot potassium Is at hand a very weak solution one grain to the half halt pint of water should be given glen to the patient to drink Strong coffee should be given gen frequently The caffeine neutralizes the morphine The permanganate will neutralize any morphine mor morphine morphine phine still unabsorbed In the stomach but since absorption usually takes place very rapidly this remedy is not very effective The important thing is to keep the patient awake until medical aid arrives This is done by walking him up and down the room by beating his calves or the soles of his feet or by b rubbing g his ears Hold ammonia to his nose His protests and the pain thereof must be disregarded Imme Immediate Immediate Immediate diate vomiting of ot course is desirable Chloral Chloral hydrate is the principal prin principal principal cipal ingredient of ot knockout drops Like opium it produces drowsiness and a deep sleep steep followed by a sudden stoppage of the heart and then death causes the pupils of the pa patients patients eyes to contract but chloral does not This Is the i best est way to dif dlf differentiate differentiate between the two when there is doubt as s to the calise cl use of the pa patients patients condition Practically nothing can be done by the layman to relieve the patient It is best to hurry him to toa toa toa a hospital without wasting any time in useless efforts This la Is a prod produce produce produce uce and like and aceta nelld Is a frequent constituent of head headache headache headache ache powders and neuralgia cures In large or repeated doses It has a p ten tendency tendency tendency dency to cause heart failure and col cot collapse collapse lapse The best ready antidote for tor an overdose is whisky If It a dose doso of ot head headache headache headache ache powder is followed by weakness and pallor or ot by difficulty In breathing breath breathIng Ing It is well to take a wineglass of whisky and send for a doctor at once Phosphorus Pl This is a constituent of ot several everal popular rat rot poisons and is also alro used in the manufacture of ot matches Children often QUen ingest it by sucking match heads It causes ca ses sore soreness soreness soreness ness in the mouth and vomiting The things expelled from the stomach have havea a n faint garlicky odor and are slightly luminous phosphorescent ln the dark I The more dangerous later effects of phosphorus poisoning appear but slow slowly slowly slowly ly and there Is usually plenty of time to summon a physician Until he appears it is well to the vomiting or start It If it has not be begun gunby gun by the use se of ot tho the common emetics em tIcs warm mustard salt water w ter Ipecac etc Arsenic This is frequently taken by mistake or as an overdose It causes cause disagreeable IS sr ble sensations in the throat a difficulty in n swallowing dizziness headache and sometimes vomiting The Ther best remedy emedy r Is a tablespoonful of di dl dialyzed dialyzed al zed Iron which may be obtained at any drug store The dose should be repeated every Very half halt hour until there is relief Then a dose of some sonie handy purgative should be administered Arsenic is the active poison polson in green greenwall greenwall greenwall wall paper and parts paris green Strychnine St Beyond administering I an emetic at once the layman can dolittle do dolittle doi little to combat this exceedingly dan dangerous dangerous dangerous poison polson It is best to take the patient to a hospital where all need needful needful needful ful drugs and apparatus are at hand band Cocaine This poison polson is frequently taken as a ti matter of habit like mor morphine morphine morphine phine It causes s a a fleeting feeling of gaiety salet and exaltation followed by de depression depression depression drowsiness and a sense of ot swooning In the case of a fatal tatal dose death follows convulsions ns and collapse The T e patient must be put to bed Ad M Administer Administer minister a wineglass of whisky and summon medical aid at once Potash Caustic potash washing soda spirits of ammonia and other strong alkalis In common use in the household are frequently swallowed by mistake or with JUl suicidal s intent Very ery efficient antidotes are lemon Juice and diluted vinegar When an alkali has been taken in a concentrated form torm the throat Is usually burned very badly The Tile treatment of this of course re requires requires quires professional skill Oxalic Acid This is often swallowed by mistake for tor Epsom It pro produces produces produces duces pains in the throat and mouth vomiting and spasms Lime water baking baiting soda magnesia chalk and milk are all good antidotes Vomiting should be Induced Compared with oth other other other er poisons oxalic acid is not very dan dangerous dangerous dangerous because a comparatively large dose Is required to do much damage Emetics The best of ot all emetics for far 1 house ho e use is ipecac A bottle of ot this i in solution should be placed in tho the family medicine chest In addition the chest should contain a box ot cAr r cArbonate r bonate of soda baking soda oda one of ot dialyzed iron and one ono of ot Epsom salts a bottle of lemon Juice a bottle of ot whisky or brandy one of ot peroxide of ot hydrogen and one of ot a weak solution of ot permanganate of potassium Copyright 1907 by J W Muller Mullen |