Memoranda on Poisons

by Thomas Hawkes Tanner

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[AUTHOR’S PREFACE]
TO THE SECOND EDITION.

These Memoranda are intended to refresh the memory of the practitioner on a subject which is not brought under his notice so frequently as many other departments of medicine. They are especially adapted to show at a glance the treatment to be adopted in each particular instance of poisoning to which a medical man is liable to be summoned.

There seems reason to fear that the crime of slow poisoning is more extensively practised in the present day than is generally believed. The study of the following pages will, it is hoped, put the physician on his guard; and prevent his attributing to natural disease symptoms due to the villainous administration of deadly drugs.

Henrietta Street, Cavendish Square.

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[CONTENTS.]

[CHAPTER I.]	PAGE
Definition and Mode of Action of Poisons	13
[CHAPTER II.]
Diagnosis of Poisoning—Duties of the Practitioner	19
[CHAPTER III.]
Duties of the Practitioner—Treatment of Poisoning	24
[CHAPTER IV.]
Detection of Poisons	28
[CHAPTER V.]
Classification of Poisons	32
[CHAPTER VI.]
The Concentrated Mineral Acids	36
[CHAPTER VII.]
The Corrosive Vegetable Acids	43
[CHAPTER VIII.]
The Caustic Alkalies and their Carbonates: Potash, Soda, Ammonia	48
[CHAPTER IX.]
Salts of the Alkalies and Alkaline Earths	52
[CHAPTER X.]
Salts of the Metals: Zinc—Silver—Tin—Bismuth—Chrome—Iron	54
[CHAPTER XI.]
Simple Vegetable and Animal Irritants	57
[CHAPTER XII.]
Irritant Gases	59
[CHAPTER XIII.]
Iodine and Iodide of Potassium	61
[CHAPTER XIV.]
Phosphorus	63
[CHAPTER XV.]
Arsenic and its Compounds	66
[CHAPTER XVI.]
Antimonial Compounds	78
[CHAPTER XVII.]
Mercury and its Compounds	81
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
Preparations of Lead	85
[CHAPTER XIX.]
Salts of Copper	89
[CHAPTER XX.]
Specific Vegetable Irritants	92
[CHAPTER XXI.]
Specific Animal Irritants.—Cantharides	92
[CHAPTER XXII.]
Narcotics.—Neurotics, acting on the Brain and producing Sleep: Opium	95
[CHAPTER XXIII.]
Anæsthetics.—Neurotics acting on the Brain and producing Insensibility: Chloroform—Chloral—Bichloride of Methylene—Ether—Amylene—Nitrous Oxide	102
[CHAPTER XXIV.]
Inebriants.—Neurotics acting on the Brain and producing Intoxication: Alcohol—Nitro-Benzole—Cocculus Indicus—Fungi, &c.	108
[CHAPTER XXV.]
Delirants.—Neurotics acting on the Brain and producing Delirium: Hyoscyamus—Belladonna—Stramonium—Datura alba—Nightshade	112
[CHAPTER XXVI.]
Convulsives.—Neurotics producing Convulsions: Nux Vomica—Brucia—Strychnia	116
[CHAPTER XXVII.]
Hyposthenisants.—Neurotics producing Death by Syncope: Aconite—Prussic Acid	122
[CHAPTER XXVIII.]
Depressants.—Neurotics producing marked depression of the Heart’s Action: Digitalis—Calabar Beans—Tobacco—Hemlock	129
[CHAPTER XXIX.]
Asphyxiants.—Noxious Gases, producing Neurotic Symptoms	134
[CHAPTER XXX.]
Abortives.—Substances producing Abortion	137
[Appendix]	139
[Index]	151