The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-22
POISONS AND THEIR ANTI
DOTE.


eolid-whlch by It's own inhe rent
qualities is capable of ipjuriDg health
or destroying life.
AS q rule poiscns prove most
rapidly fatal when introduced, by a
wound in q vein or by hypodermio
Injection. directly into the blood.
Their action is also speedy when
brought into contact with the mem
braue of the lungs They are as g
rule, readily Absoi bed through the
serous and mucous membranes OF
tae body, while through the skin the
abaorptioc is Glow. =
Wnen taken into the stomach.
p ,isons especially il liquid -aot
more speedily when the latter is
empty than when it il fall.
Most poisons lpjuriousIy affect the
sys;em, no matter how introduced
into it; but there are exceptions to
thi. rule-th- sting OF the viper may
be deadly, but the roison lie harmless
when swallowed I'here are also q
clsss of bodies which when swallowed
most directly affect the nervous sys-
tenn, but fail to act when applied to
toe brain or nervous trunks.
30 ne poisons disoreani2s or CT ode
the organs with which they come in
contact, bat there are msny-especi-
ally among the nsrcotics-thst, while
producing very eight local change.
often develop remarkable remote
e6ects. Bel 1onna, in whatever
way introduced into the system para-
Yves the ciliary Lerves. and 60 caus- .
dilstion of the pupil.
The preparations of arsenic, opium,
and the prussiates (cyanides) are the
substances most frequently employed
as poisous in this country. The symp-
toms attending slow poisoning by
arse Ideal and antimonial compounds
are frequently such as Gight appear
to be owing to natural causes, ADD it
il to be feared that more instances
of secret murder due to such causes
have occurred than have been de-
tected.
The following is a condensed state
ment OF the characteristics. symp-
toms, antidotes and simple methods
of testing for and identifying some OF
the more common peisons:
Polsons are usually divided into
three classss-irritant, narcotic and
narcotic.irritant. IrritRnt poisoDs are
usuallyc onsidered under the beads
or OF mineral metallic and ncn-meial
lie irritants. vegetable irritants aud
animal irritants. In the first OF these
divisions are arsenic and iis com
pounds-srsenious acid " hite ar
senic), metallic arsenic. fly powder,
potassium srsenise (Fowler's solu-
toni, arsenic acid, arsenic eulphides
yellow orpiment aud rel iealgsr).
arsenical pastes, soaps, etc. This
fearful poison has of late years caused
more untimely deaths than any other
mineral poison. Come of the insolu-
BILE compounds of arsenic are not 20
rapid IN their action upon the system
as the more soluble ones, but there
is not 8 single compound into which
arsenic enters that Is not capable OF
fatal results when taken in
to the system.
From halt an hour to an honr
after the arsenic has been swallowed
the person begiDs to feel Dameless
developing into fainsnesss
d repression add nausea, with an in
ten.e burning pain ia the region OF
the stomach, increased By pressure.
retching. vomiting, sense OF constric-
ton in tue throat, with intense thirst;
more or less violent, accom-
panied by cramps in tue calves of the
iaps; matter discharged from the sto-
mach OF a dark greenish color, some
times streaked with blood. The pulse
becomes small, frequent and irregu-
lar; skin cold and clammy in the
state OF collapse, at other times very
hat; respiration paintul; eyes red and
bright. Sometimes the sufferer be-
comes unconscious or suffers partial
paralgs 8 or tetanic convulsions-pre-
cursers to death. These symptoms
will vary according to the nature OF
the compound aud the quantity
taken.
There is no specific an.idote for
arsenic, and Temldies are rarely at
tened With success if not applied at
Q early stage. Mixtures of olive Oil
and lime water promptly adminis-
tered after the ef1ectual use of an
emetio have been recommended;
recently precipitated bydrated oxide
of ron mixed with magnesis has also
been used with favorable results. No
chemical antidote should ever super
sede active evacuent treatment by
emetics and the stomach pump.
Lead or its salts are often taken
into the system uuawsres-in drink
ing water which has been allowed to
stand in lead pipes or reservoirs, or
in preserved vegetables and fruits
cooked or allowed to stand for . long
time ia contact With lead soldered
Joints. ALI lead salts are more or less
poisonous, and their effects are accu-
mulative-ss with the painter who
becomes 'Ieaded" by the gradual
absorption of lead from the paints
with which he is in constant contact.
Vines any considerable quantity of
this metal has been swallowed, or
when it mas accumulated in the sys-
n