Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-05-29
POISONS AND ANTIDOTES.
REMEDIES TO BE APPLIED BEFORE
THE DOCTOR COMES.

The Symptoms of Various Poisons
Simple Yet Eficacious Means
for Counteracting Their Effect.
The first remedial effort IN case OF
poisoning should be to enable the system
to reject the poison; the next, to coun-
teract its serious effects; and finally, to
begin the restoration of its normal tone.
The poisonous substances usually found
in the household may be divided into
three classes. which include: (D the
corrosive mineral and vegetable acids,
such as sulphuric, nitric, carbolic and
oxalic acids; ~ the simple irritants,
like the strong alkalies-potash, lime,
zinc, etc. (3) the specific irritants, like
arsenic, iodine and PHOSPHORUS. Prus-
sic acid, chloroform and opium belong to
the neurotic poisons, some of which
simulate in their effects the symptoms of
diseases of the brain and spinal cord,
producing delirium convulsions, paralysis
and syncope.
When after eating or drinking per-
son is attacked with violent pain, nausea,
purging, convulsions, delirium, or great
drowsiness, the supposition is probably
that poison has been taken, and i'm
mediate medical aid should be obtained.
While the use of the stomach pump is
the most thorough means of empty
ing and cleansing the stomach, its
operation by an inexperienced person
may cause serious injury, either by flood
ing the lungs or by lacerating the surface
of the stomach, which has already been
injured by the corrosive action of certain
poisons. The safest course of procedure
by non-medical persons is the promotion
of the nausea, which is one of the indi-
cations of poisoning, until free vomiting
has been effected The simplest means
to this end are the safest in the hands of
anyone but physician, that is, the use
of lukewarm water in which mustard has
been dissolved; a teaspoonful to half
pint of water, repeated until the stomach
is entirely empty.
The second remedial action is the ap-
plication of some antidote calculated to
counteract the effect of the poison either
by combining with it, or depriving it of
its deleterious qualities. The combina-
tion of antidote with poison forms harm
less chemical compounds, or those which
are insoluble in the gastric fluids. 1t
then remains to neutralize the effect of
the poison upon the system, and to over
come any depression or shock it may
have caused; these are purely the phys
ical offices.
Of the corrosive poisons, those most
frequently used in the household are
oxalic and carbolic acids, creosote, and
the caustic alkalies, potash, soda and
ammonia. Oxalic acid has sometimes
been taken by mistake for Epson salts Z;
the salt of sorrel, or the essential salt Of
lemons, used, like oxalic acid, for clean
ing purposes and bleaching has caused
poisoning.
The symptoms of oxalic acid poisoning
are burning sensation during swallow
ing, burning pain in the stomach, and
almost immediate nausea. When there
is no vomiting, great prostration, feeble
pulse and convulsions, death is likely to
follow from collapse. The antidote is
lime in any form--plaster or mortar
chalk, whiting or magnesia, mixed with
water; but no fluid without an antidote,
because it would favor the absorption OF
the poison. AS is the case with most
poisons, white of egg is useful remedy
Creosote and carbolic acid are so often
in use in disinfectants that they may
prove dangerous, especially as death SC
rapidly follows dose of the poison.
The mouth and lips are whitened by
contact with the acid, the pupils of the
eyes are very much contracted, the breath.
ing becomes stertorous, and coma is soon
followed by death. The possibility Of
relief is small, but oil may be freely
given, and Immediately removed by the
free use of emetics, before it can be alb
sorbed.
Crude potash, pearlash, caustic soda,
washing soda and household ammonia
hare ~ acrid burning taste extending to
the throat and stomach, accompanied by
great pain, tenderness upon pressure, alb
dominal pains and suffocation. The inn
mediate relief may be followed by deatl
from starvation, owing to the closing Of
the Gsophagus by structure. Even the
common remedy for sore throat, chloratt
of potash, has been known to cause
death. In recent instance an ounce oi
the chlorate was taken in mistake fol
EPSON salts, and death ensued within {
few hours. The remedial treatment con.
sists of neutralizing the poison by use ol
some weak acid, like vinegar and water,
and the free consumption of the acid
from fruit juices, lemons especially, fol
lowed by draughts of salad oil. l.---Harper'
Bazdr.