Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-12-08
AN ARTICLE TO PRESERVE.


The following is condensed state
ment Of the characteristics, symptoms,
antidotes, and simple methods of test
ing for and identifying some Of the
more common poisons:
Poisons are usually divided into
three classes-irritant, narcotic, and
narcotic-irritant. Irritant poisons are
usually considered under the heads Of
mineral -or metallic and non-metallic-
irritants, vegetable irritants. and ami
NAL irritants. In the first Of these
divisions is arsenic and its compounds.
From half an hour to an hour after the
arsenic has been swallowed the person
begins to feel a nameless uneasiness, de-
veloping into faintness, depression and
nausea, with an intense burning pain in
the region of thestomach, increased by
pressure, retching, vomiting, sense of
construction in the throat, with intense
thirst diarrhea, more or less violent,
accompanied by cramps in the calves
of the legs; matter discharged from the
stomach of dark greenish color, some
times streaked with blood. The pulse
becomes small, frequent and irregular;
skin cold and clammy in the state Of
collapse, at other times very hot; res
piration painful; eyes red and bright.
Sometimes the sufferer becomes uncon-
scious or suffers partial paralysis or te-
tanic convulsions precursors Of death.
These symptoms will vary according to
the nature of the compound and the
quantity taken.
There is no specific antidote for ar
senic, and remedies are rarely attended
with success if not applied at an early
stage. Mixtures of olive oil and lime
water promptly administered after the
effectual use Of an emetic have been
recommended recently precipitated
hydrated oxide of iron mixed with mag
nesia has also been used with favorable
results. No chemical antidote should
ever supersede active evacuent treat
ment by emetics and with the stomach
pump.
Lead or its salts are often taken into
the system unawares-in drinking
water that has been allowed to stand IN
lead pipes or reservoirs, or in preserved
vegetables and fruit cooked or allowed
to stand for long time in contact with
lead soldered joints. All lead salts are
more or less poisonous, and their effecss
are accumulative-a with the painter
who becomes 'sleaded" by the gradual
absorption Of lead from the paints with
which he is in constant contact. When
any considerable quantity of this metal
has been swallowed, or when it has accu-
mulated in the system, the usual symp-
toms are: burning, prickling sensa-
tion in the throat, with dryness and
thirst, uneasiness of the stomach, and
irritation of the alimentary canal, fol-
lowed by violent and obstinate collie and
great painin the abdomen. relieved some
what by pressure, the pain being inter-
mittent. There is usually obstinate
constipation, cold skin, and general
prostration. In extreme cases the ex-
tremities become numb or paralyzed,
followed by convulsions and insensibil-
ity.
For lead poisoning sulphate OF soda
or Epson salts is the prescribed anti
dote; powdered charcoal and sulphate
of magnesia are also recommended.
Large quantities of cream and albumen
Tor white Of egg) also retard the action
of lead poisons, and emetics are given
to promote vomiting if the poison does
not itself occasion it. Lead is easily
detected in a substance by heating the
latter with little pure acetic acid and
testing samples Of the solution with
sulphuric acid, chronic acid Tor bichro-
mate Of POTASSIUM, sodium sulphide,
and zinc. The first produces a heavy
white precipitate, the second bright
yellow, the third black precipitate,
and the last the zinc-when suspended
in the liquid becomes covered with a
crystalline formation OF metallic lead.
The action on the system Of the salts
of antimony when taken in considerable
doses is somewhat similar to that OF ar
senic. The usual antidotes are solution
of tannin, strong tea and magnesia and
milk. Antimony is detected by the
orange-red precipitate it gives with by
drogen sulphide and the alkaline sui
phides. The dried precipitate is easily
reduced to metallic antimony with the
Characteristic reaction on heated char
coal.
The symptoms Of poisoning with cop
per salts are similar to those produced
by arsenic, but the vomited matters are
blue or green, and there is usually a
s'coprery taste" in the mouth. The
usual antidotes are warm water to pro-
mote vomiting, white Of eggs, strong
tea or tannin solutions, and weak solu-
tions Of protosulphate Of iron or potas-
SUM ferrocyanide in water. Copper in
solution is detected by the blue color it
forms with ammonia when the latter is
added in slight excess, and by the
brownish-red precipitate which forms
on the addition Of solution Of potassium
ferrocyanide.- Most Of the salts Of cop
per have clear blue or green color.
easily recognizable.
coIfr ~. = ,,.x,, - ~ -