PART SECOND.
OF INDIVIDUAL POISONS.
CHAPTER I.
OF THE CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS.
After the preliminary observations on General Poisoning, I proceed next to treat of Poisons Individually. The subsequent remarks will be confined in a great measure to the most common poisons, which will be examined minutely. The rest being mere objects of curiosity, and hardly ever taken by man either intentionally or by accident, it will be sufficient to point out their leading properties.
It may be well to point out in the first instance the poisons in most general use. These will appear from the following Tables. The first is compiled from a Parliamentary Return of the cases of fatal poisoning brought before the coroners of England in two years ending with 1838.
| 1. | Arsenical | White arsenic | 185 | |
| Yellow arsenic | 1 | |||
| 186 | ||||
| 2. | Acids | Sulphuric acid | 32 | |
| Nitric acid | 3 | |||
| Oxalic acid | 19 | |||
| 54 | ||||
| 3. | Mercurials | Corrosive sublimate | 12 | |
| White mercury | 1 | |||
| Turbith-mineral | 1 | |||
| Mercury (?) | 1 | |||
| 15 | ||||
| 4. | Other mineral irritants | Tartar-emetic | 2 | |
| Sulphate of iron | 1 | |||
| Chloride of tin | 1 | |||
| Subacetate of lead | 1 | |||
| Bichrom. of potash | 1 | |||
| Percussion powder | 1 | |||
| Carbonate of potash | 1 | |||
| Black-ash | 1 | |||
| 9 | ||||
| 5. | Veget. irritants | Colchicum | 3 | |
| Hellebore | 1 | |||
| Savin | 1 | |||
| Cayenne | 1 | |||
| Castor seeds | 1 | |||
| Morison pills | 1 | |||
| 8 | ||||
| 6. | Anim. irrits. | Cantharides | 2 | |
| 7. | Opium | Opium or Laudan. | 180 | |
| Opium & nitric acid | 1 | |||
| Poppy-syrup | 4 | |||
| Godfrey’s Cordial | 6 | |||
| Morphia | 1 | |||
| Acetate of morphia | 1 | |||
| 193 | ||||
| 8. | Hydrocyanic acid | Med. Hydroc. acid | 27 | |
| Do. and Laudanum | 1 | |||
| Ess. oil of Almonds | 5 | |||
| Bay-leaves | 1 | |||
| 34 | ||||
| 9. | Other veget. Narcotics | Nux-vomica | 3 | |
| Strychnia | 2 | |||
| Belladonna | 2 | |||
| Hemlock | 1 | |||
| Monkshood | 2 | |||
| Spirits | 4 | |||
| Fungi | 4 | |||
| 18 | ||||
| 10. | Narcot. gases. | Coal-gas | 2 | |
| 11. | Unascertained | 22 | ||
| Total | 543 |
In France, in seven years, from 1825 to 1831, inclusive, there were 216 trials for poisoning, at which 273 persons were charged with the crime, and only 102 condemned. In 94 cases occurring between November 1825 and October 1832, the substances employed were as follows.[[138]]
| Arsenic | 54 |
| Orpiment | 1 |
| Verdigris | 7 |
| Corrosive sublimate | 5 |
| Fly-powder | 3 |
| Tartar-emetic | 1 |
| Sulphate of zinc | 1 |
| Acetate of lead | 1 |
| Cerusse | 1 |
| Mercurial ointment | 1 |
| Cantharide | |
| Nux-vomica | 4 |
| Opium | 1 |
| Sulphuric acid | 1 |
| Nitric acid | 1 |
| Unascertained | 5 |
In the subsequent seven years there were 218 trials, and 153 prisoners condemned. Among 194 of these the following were the poisons used.[[139]]
| Metallic arsenic | 5 |
| Arsenious acid | 132 |
| Arsenite of copper | 1 |
| Compounds of copper | 13 |
| Corrosive sublimate | 10 |
| Artificial orpiment | 3 |
| Sulphate of zinc | 1 |
| Tartar-emetic | 1 |
| Cerusse | 1 |
| Sulphuric acid | 5 |
| Nitric acid | 2 |
| Muriatic acid | 1 |
| Hydrocyanic acid | 1 |
| Ammonia | 1 |
| Belladonna | 1 |
| Opium | 3 |
| Morphia | 1 |
| Nux-vomica | 1 |
| Cantharides | 10 |
In Denmark, in five years ending with 1835, there were 99 cases of poisoning of all sorts, 16 by arsenic, 74 by sulphuric or nitric acid, 4 by potash, 1 by an unascertained caustic substance, 2 by opium, 1 by litharge, and 1 by copper. Only 5 cases, namely, 3 by arsenic and 2 by sulphuric acid, were cases of murder, or attempt to murder.[[140]]