The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-23 00:00:00

A CERTAIN ANTIDOTE TO

ARSENIC..

The efficacy of the hydrated peroxide of iron in
counteracting the fatal efreew of poisoning by
arsenic has already been made public ; but a suffi-
cient number of facts had not born furnished so as
to leave no doubt upon the certainty of its action
as a specific against arsenical preparations.
The following seven cases remove ail incredulity
upon the important acquisition conferred by the
progress of chemical science, and which, for the
sake of humanity, cannot be made too public, as it
is now incontestibly proved that the peroxide of
hydrated iron is the moss certain, cafe, and ready
antidote against arsenic known.

On the 9th of October last Di. Puchelt, of
Berlin, was called to attend Charlotte Lenz, aged
thirty-five, who had been taken suddenly ill after
dinner. He found the patient of a deathlike pale-
ness, her features contracted. She had trembling
fits, her pulse was small, frequent, and almost im-
perceptible to the touch. She stiffeeed also from
constant vomitings, accompanied by violent spasms
in the regions of the stomach. The abdomen was
contracted, and little affected by pressure ; the
tongue pale, but slightly coated.
The patient stated that she had dined at the
house of a neighbour named Bauer, and with
three of his children ; she had herself cooked
the dinner, as the man's wife was not at home.
In a quarter of an hour after partaking of some
soup, she became so ill that they were obliged to
carry her home. Dr. Puchelt repaired to the
house where she dined, and found the three chil-
dren and the father extended on beds, and appa-
rently in the agonies of death. Ono of the chil-
dren was fifteen months old, the second three and a
half years, and the third five years. They were all
seized with illness shortly after partaking of a few
spoonsful of the soup. The fruiter, who took two
soup-plates full, and some meat, went to work after
dinner, but was obliged to return immediately, in
consequence of the violent pains and spasms with
which he was seized. He as well as the children
exhibited the same symptoms as the female above
alluded to. After some inquiries the medical
attendant ascertained that Charlotte Lenz had
taken, in mistake for flour, a spoonful of arsenic
kept for destroying rats, and inoutiously left in the
cupboard.
Dr. Puchelt had fortunately provided himself
with some peroxide of hydrated iron, and immedi-
ately administered a large spoonful to the father,
and a smaller quantity to the children. He then
returned to the lodgings of Clizirlorte Lenz, and
gave her a similar portieto a Op. petinicle of iron.
Five minutes after the first dose Ranier, die father,
vomited; a second dose (spec l) was then given,
and he became calmer. The ekildren also vo-
mited, but on taking more of the peroxide of iron,
they were soon relieved, and the youngest fell
asleep. At half an hour after the fret dose an
aperient effect was produced upon the father, and '
the symptoms were considerably diminished ; the
uneasiness and violent colics ceased, and the coun-
tenance assumed a natural appearance. The female
Lenz was also relieved after the first few doses.
In the evening Bauer and the two youngest of
the children were in a satisfactory state ; but Char-
lotte Lenz, who had been previously ill, and the
eldest daughter, who had taken very little of the
antidote (having obstinately misted), were not so
nylch recovered as the others ; another spoonful
was accordingly administered to each. On the fol-
lowing morning Bauer was able to resume his
work, and the two younger children had quite re-
covered. The eldest, however, etas paler, and
complained of uneasiness; the abdomen was swollen
and tender, and the tongue coated; but what she
particularly suffered from was a vielent palpitation
of the heart, which came on at intervals. This
palpitation was easily heard by the stethoscope ;
but by no means in unison (synoltroimus) with the
pulse, which continued small. A sinapism was
applied to the region of the heart, and another dose
of peroxide of iron administered, as also to the
female Lenz, who exhibited the same symptoms.
Aperient medicine was given in the evening, and
with effect. Next morning they were both much
better, the palpitations had eubaided, and the
pulse became strong, the appetite returned, and in
the course of a few days the cure was perfected.
On analysing a portion of the soup left, it was
found to contain a quantity of white oxide of arsenic.
ITh y
seedmatter
showedrejected t fmhreo
presence
stpritaofe h
arsenicwa s also a ;
in ana-
lysed,
the
e-
portions mixed with the peroxide of iron (taken as
the antidote) it was ascertained thiporatothtu
the peroxide
was changed into the arseniate of
estab-
lishing its claims as a specific. Two other cases
are detailed, in which two children, one 8 years
and the other 10 years old, had swallowed half a
spoonfult
hoefy arsenicw er
e instantlym i xed by mistake in some vege-
tables
similar to the above. The"pize.rodxwidiethofsylmropntowmass
administered six hours after the ateklent, and was
attended with complete su cceaes-.-Medicinische
Annalen.

APPLEDORE.--A
last week. It had remained the river that it could
not clear the sand banks i slears°re,ralelon porpoise
(lige was taken here
Since the high tide of
of Dr. Wooll, the
was with difficulty captured.
RUGNY SCHOoL,-- °W; wen bred at it, and it
oterre2gt moment. The
Rugby prosperity during the early days
tioa of a rule,
;on of the
school has never been so full as at the
number of boys now amounts to
elltelentiolve of the
been considerably greater, boa rot op ~and would have
adopted of late years by the trnstees, st the ,112
head master, by which the matter at e6holors,
founders, has been limited to 200. JO consece
re-
striction several applications were reine A
ed at , this
ment of the half-year.—Derbredire tiroziale, mence-
A grand Easter race ball, nnder the patronage
of the Earl of Cardigan, Major deans, s, and the officers of
the 11th or Prince Albert's own Hussars, took place, last
evening, at the Assembly Rooms,. Canterbury.
SALMON FISHING. _lt is a remarkable fact
that up to the end of last week, a period of nearly two months
from the commencement of the sbisag season, not a single
salmon had been caught in the Tweed above Kelso, although
the number of trout taken had been en an average with late
Years. The circumstance is almost unproaadented in the ex-
perience of the oldest people frenneeted with the fishings, and
',ils impossible to regard it otherwise than as a striking in-
dication. of some destructive process at work, which, whatever
it rn...), ,
lezi., sereewmiselt,o,ibdeveeonmiesemr.ore relax-lel* in each successive
season.