Fatal Dose.—Four grains of opium is the smallest fatal dose in an adult, or one drachm of laudanum; children are proportionately much more susceptible to the action of opium than adults.
Treatment.—Stomach-tube, emetics, strong coffee or tea, ammonia to nostrils. Give 10 grains of permanganate of potassium in a pint of water acidulated with sulphuric acid, and repeat the dose every half hour. Belladonna by mouth, or atropine hypodermically. Patient must be kept roused by dashing cold water over him, flagellating with a wet towel, walking about, etc. In conditions of collapse, however, this treatment must not be continued, but everything should be done to preserve the strength. Treatment must be continued as long as life remains.
Method of Extraction from the Stomach.—Opium itself cannot be directly detected, but we test for morphine and meconic acid. These may be separated from organic mixtures thus: Boil the organic matter with distilled water, spirit, and acetic acid; filter, and to the fluid passed through add acetate of lead till precipitate ceases. Filter. Acetate of morphine passes through, and meconate of lead remains. The solution of acetate of morphine may be freed from excess of lead by hydrogen sulphide and filtered, excess of hydrogen sulphide driven off by heat, and tests applied. Put the meconate of lead with water into a beaker and pass hydrogen sulphide; sulphide of lead is formed, and meconic acid set free. Filter. Concentrate the solution of meconic acid, allow a portion to crystallize, and apply tests.
Tests.—Morphine and its acetate give an orange-red colour with nitric acid, becoming brighter on standing; decompose iodic acid, setting free iodine; with perchloride of iron, gives a rich indigo-blue; with bichromate of potassium, a green turning to brown. When the alkaloid is heated in a watchglass with a drop of strong sulphuric acid until the acid begins to fume, and is then allowed to get quite cold, a drop of nitric acid produces a brilliant red colour. The iodic acid test is very delicate, but requires great care, and may be used in the presence of organic matter.
Meconic acid gives a blood-red colour with perchloride of iron, not discharged by corrosive sublimate or chloride of gold. The similar colour produced by sulpho-cyanide of potassium and perchloride of iron is discharged by chloride of gold and corrosive sublimate.
Morphine Habit.—Individuals who have acquired this habit take the drug usually by hypodermic injection. The victim suffers from nausea and vomiting, and becomes so mentally debilitated that asylum treatment is required.
XXX.—BELLADONNA, HYOSCYAMUS, AND STRAMONIUM
Belladonna.—The root, leaves, and berries, of the Atropa belladonna are poisonous from the presence of alkaloid atropine.
Symptoms.—Dryness of mouth and throat, intense thirst, dysphagia and dysphonia, quick pulse, noisy delirium and stupor. Strangury and hæmaturia, and redness of the skin, especially of the face, like that of scarlatina, have been noticed. Dilatation of the pupil occurs, whether the poison be taken internally or applied locally to the eye.