Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-01-09

CAPsOuc ACID AN1DorE.
Discovery That Alcohol Sallilrs the Ef-
feet of the Poison.

On May 4, 1898, about go o'clock
D m., Mrs X while dining, quarrcled
with her husband, rushed up stairs and
swallowed an ounce Of liquid carbolic
acid with suicidal intent. Nh. Y. fol-
lowed his wife in less than 10 minutes,
to find her lying on the floor il a deep
sleep, from which he could ucJ rouse
her. He noticed an empty bottle on the
bureau labeled carbolic acid and recog
nized its odor through the room.
Medical aid was Immediately sum
moned, when two physicians promptly
responded, made hurried examination
OF the condition and surroundings Of
tho patient, who was in a profound stu
por, with pupils contracted 20 pin
points, injected atropine to antagonize
the poison supposed TO have been taken
and then used tho stomach pump
Demulcents-such rs olive oil, glyc-
erin, etc. -- and umewater and sui
phuric acid We're also administered with
the stomach pump about this time, and
an effort was made 10 walEcn the pa
tient with the faradiG current, but
without result. Ms. y. was now allow
GU W AE4AthALi @1LNlElulbNAA uAiAlA y sbb u
m, when IN attempt to restore her 10
/ consciousness succeeded. On first awak-
ening she was dazed, rambled and was
unable TO realize her position for q few
minutes, but soon rallied and answered
| questions readily. When asked what she
had used, without hesitation she replied
carbolic acid and whisky, and that she
experienced but little pain or burning
sensation and declared she slept sound
", having pleasant dreams.
With the exception Of slight nausea
and depression Of spirits for few days
she suffered little or no moro inconven-
ience and made a rapid and satisfac-
| tory conyalescence, and has enjoyed ro-
bust health ever since
The slight corrosive action and free
| dom from pain experienced on the pres
ent occasion proved the value Of her ex-
| periments and suggests a new and eff
cient plan of treatment in carbolic acid
poisoning. 4 mixture of equal parts of
carbolic acid and alcohol may be pour
ed over the back of the hand, leaving
scarcely a trace of corrosive action if
promptly washed off with alcohol. The
white stain caused by the liquid carbol
ic acid can be removed by the immedi-
ate and continued application Of alco
| hol In the case of young man who
came to my Office suffering from intense
itching caused by spider bite applied
| liquid carbolic acid, which stained the
skin white. This application was left
ON the affected part until it caused Sc
we're pain, when it was thoroughly re-
| moved with alcohol, followed by the ap-
plication of pad of absorbent cotton
saturated with alcohol.
BY this means the stain was removed
and pain relieved until heat was felt in
| the pad, when both stain and pain dis
appeared. The heated pad was now dis
| carded and replaced by one of a similar
| kind, freshly prepared, when stain and
| pain vanished q second time, to return
with heat in the pad. This phenomenon
continue as long as heat developed in
the pad and ceased when it was no lon
ger evolved. The only result besides re-
| lieving the itching was an intense red
ness of the skin over the affected area,
which disappeared in a few days, at
tended by desquamation Of the cuticle.
This case also affords striking illus
tration of the resemblance in the symp-
toms produced to carbolic acid and OPT
um poisoning. The diagnostic feature
in the present case was the quiet and
regular breathing.
Alcohol, apart from its power as an
untidotc, Is required as "A stimulant IN
the majority Of cases of carbolic acid
poisoning, to combat the intense depres-
sion usually experienced, and it would
therefore appear as if alcohol were a
true antidote in carbolic acid poisoning.
| Medical Record.