The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-25
.AntidOtes for POisOns.
From Peterson's Magazine. ]

Mothers and nurses not unfrequently give
those under their charge poisonous doses o.
acids, laudanum, ETC., or administer them il
haste, In mistake; or children ever restless
prying into cupboards, and finding some bot
ties or walls, have. out Of curiosity, hastily
swallowed laudanum, the mineral acids, and
the like, while younger children have been
known, again and again, to get hold of sau
GERS placed on floors and windows, contain.
ing solution of cobalt, "hy-stone," or tly.pa
per.
Opium is the most common poisonous a.
gent taken or administered in the form OF
laudanum, Bateman's Drops, Elixir Paregor
ic, Godfrey's Cordial, and, Ifear, some soOth
ing syrups, as well rs most diarhGa and
cholera mixtures. Any Of these articles adj
mlnlsered to young children with unsparng
hand are liable to produce the dull, heavy
stupor of opium poisoning. When the guam
tity taken is supposed to be sufficiently large
to produce death, the first and great object is
to remove the poison from the stomach by an
active emetic dose and the most convenient
and safest for mother to give is finely -ground
mustard, suspended in warm water. This,
or ipecac, may be given freely, TIL copious
vomiting is excited
The patient must be kept constantly reused
and IN motion, by walking; cold water being
occasionally dashed over his head and face.
After vomiting has been effected, strong cot
fee and aqua ammonia may be administered
with good results.
When sulphurc acid, or oil of vitrlol, nj.
tro acid, or aquafortis, and oXalc acid, have
been swallowed, or poisonous acids of any
kind, the mother should administer as speed.
lily as possible an alkal TO neutralize it, such
as chalk, baking soda, lime water, magnesia,
salcratus or strong soap-suds. For prusslc
acid give diluted ammonia, and resort to the
douche and electricity. II there should be
any delay in getting any of these antidotes
ready, mustard and warm water may be given
with dilutents till vomiting occurs.
If arsenic or any of Its preparations has
been snwarily taken, magnesia or charcoal
may be administered freely, stirred in milk,
which will hold or arrest poisonous action,
at least till the physician arrives with hydrat-
ed protoxide of iron, stomach.pump, ETC..
though there Is ample evidence in medical
records to prove that patients have been saved
by the free use of charcoal, suspended in
milk, so also has an infusion of tobacco Civ
en- freely, been successful, in those unused to
the noxious weed. One of these agents is
almost always at hand in every household,
and hence no serious alarm need be mani.
tested in slight accidents Of this kind
AS mothers are apt to have in the house So
luhons of corrosive sublmate, or "bug pOis-
on" children may tamper with the bottle and
in such cases prompt action is salvation to
the child. She must not wait to summon a
physician, but give Immediately the whites
of eggs, beaten up IN water, without measure.
The gluten Of wheat flour is also useful.
which can readily be employed by throwing
a ha:dful of -four into tive or three pints of
water, and administer ii as fast as possible.
Poisoning in families by other agents is so
rare that it is unnecessary to mention them.
TO recapItulaie: In all cases where poison
Dus substances have been taken into the stom-
lch, the first step is to cause their election by
by simple means, if possible or by
leuralizing them by the proper antidotes.