Of poisons, some corrode or burn, others are septic; and by far the greatest number attack the vital principle, by either violent irritation or torpidity: some have a more deadly malignity than others, and are more speedily destructive. Most of the vegetable poisons excite narcotic, stupifying, vertiginous, lethargic, convulsive, and emetic symptoms, affecting the brain, external senses, heart, and stomach. The minerals, as arsenick and corrosive sublimate, excite symptoms of inflammation in the stomach, in the most violent degree; and both copper and lead of spasmodic colick also. From their readier solution in the stomach, the vegetable poisons, except by the symptoms, can rarely be subjected to ocular detection; but by certain chymical analysis, when in any considerable quantity, the mineral may be discovered. Arsenick has a milky whiteness, is gritty and insipid; part of it swims in water, like a pale film, the greatest part sinking to the bottom undissolved: thrown on a red-hot iron plate, it does not flame, but rises in thick white fumes, which have an offensive smell of garlick, and cover cold iron held over them with thick flowers: arsenick inclosed between two plates of copper, then put into the fire and made red-hot, changes copper white. Copper is soluble in all acids, and assumes a blue colour when corroded by any acid or saline substance. Preparations of lead have a peculiar sweet taste; and wine adulterated with lead is detected by any alkali, which renders the mixture turbid, and precipitates the metal. These observations are a part of medical jurisprudence; and we shall hereafter touch upon it, under Female Abortion, and External Violence, especially injuries of the head.
Hydrophobia.
This disease may be classed with the mental, or with poisons, and spasmodic affections of the superior part of the alimentary canal. There are very few instances of this disease in Britain: it is, notwithstanding, one of the modern hobgoblins, in which we rival the folly of the ancients respecting alimentary poisons. It should first be indisputably ascertained whether the dog, or other animal, was mad or not: we have a thousand false alarms, forgeries, and falsehoods in this respect. Dogs, especially puppies, are subject to periodical short fits, in which they run about as if mad, barking incessantly, and with a querulous angry voice. The symptoms of a mad dog, as described by authors, are, he suddenly becomes mopish, peevish, and morose; has an aversion to food and drink; an unusual look about his eyes; he runs about disorderly, forgets his master; his voice changes to a shrill bark; he suffers no one to approach, or to handle him, but bites at those who attempt it; he deserts his own habitation, running with his head and tail drooping; the tongue hangs out of his mouth, covered with foam and slaver; other dogs fly from him with horror; he attempts to bite all who fall in his way; he flies from water and rivers, and at length falls down exhausted, and dies on the third or fourth day after the first appearance of the disease. It is also agreed, that canine madness is more general in hot climates, and in the hottest summers of northern. But unfortunately hitherto, in most cases, probably nineteen out of twenty, the mania of dogs has not been incontrovertibly decided; as in cases even at the commencement, when it is very dubious, dogs are very improperly and impolitickly destroyed, instead of being confined in a place of security, to observe whether the poison is fermenting in them. Hence, probably, much ideal terror and horror; and boasted, though impotent, virtues of many vulgar nostrums, panaceas, and antidotes.
In the human species, Hydrophobia, phrenitis latrans, rabies canina, aquæ fugax, is described, for I never saw an instance of it, in the following progressive train of symptoms; some days or weeks after the bite and wound, heaviness, lassitude, disturbed sleep, frightful dreams, restlessness, melancholy, pain in the wounded part; exacerbation during the phases and changes of the moon; aversion to food and drink, pain in the throat, difficulty or impracticability of swallowing, fluids especially; and horror, or even convulsions, at the sight of any fluid; in some, delirium; in others, the senses perfect. There are some instances of recovery in the stages of hydrophobia. The diseases from other venomous bites and stings are transferred to the future class of external accidents.
P. S. In the preceding group of diseases may be included two, which I had no opportunity to introduce sooner: these are costiveness, and nasal hemorrhage. Costiveness, it is true, is frequently symptomatic in many diseases, but is also idiopathic; and the suppression of this excretory during several days, occasions vertigo, headach, disturbed sleep, inappetency, indigestion, flatulence, colick, &c. The causes, obstruction or constriction of the intestinal tube; faults in its muscular fibres, diminution of irritability by age or disease; defect of mucus, bile, especially cystic bile, its inertness; costive food and drink, and medicines; too little drink; excessive discharge, by perspiration or urine; indolence, and hard feces. Nasal hemorrhage predominates principally in the adolescent age, and towards puberty and manhood, and more amongst the male sex: the hemorrhage is generally periodical at irregular intervals, usually from one nostril, and slight, or in torrents: and there are instances on record of many quarts of blood being discharged within a few days. After puberty it commonly abates, and some years later ceases. The hemorrhage is very seldom immediately fatal; and more dangerous diseases have followed its rash suppression. The causes will be comprehended from those of hemorrhages in general.
Diseases of the Urinary Organs.
We shall begin with the diseases of the first urinary strainer, the kidneys, descending progressively through the conduits and reservoir, the ureters, bladder, and urethra. During the last 30 years of the preceding century, those marked in the mortal catalogue of London as cut of the stone, gravel, and strangury, are only 1796; and at present the mortality is more inconsiderable; and perhaps, in some degree, maybe accounted for by modern improvements in the cure of the venereal disease, and in the operation of lithotomy; for as to lithontripticks, we are as yet as ignorant as of the philosopher’s stone. From Dr. Dobson’s Treatise it appears, that out of 192,394 sick of various diseases, medical and surgical, in different county hospitals, throughout England, 430 of these underwent the operation of lithotomy. Some countries more than others, are obnoxious to calculous concretions; which have been variously imputed to air, food, drink, and water. Gravel and sand in the urinary organs is a frequent complaint, to which infancy and childhood are by no means such martyrs as adults, those especially in the decline of life: but from the shortness and width of the female urethra, they are preserved freer from calculi in the bladder than the male sex. Diseases of the urinary organs have been often described by authors under three general heads; Ischury, Dysury, and Strangury. Ischuria means a total suppression of urine; and from the seat of the disease is called renalis, uretoria, vesicalis: Dysury is only a slighter degree of the former: Strangury, a constant irritation to urine, in small quantity, and often with tenesmus.
Inflammation and Calculi of the Kidneys,
nephritis, nephralgia: and generally confined to one kidney. The symptoms, shivering, fever, acute pains and heat in the lumbar region, following the tract of the ureters, and various in severity, from calculi excruciating; frequent efforts to micturition; the urine in small quantity, red, bloody, hot, often intermixed with sand, sometimes totally suppressed; with colick, flatulence, bilious vomiting, costiveness. When the disease is severe, and from calculi, there is stupor of the leg of the same side, and pains in the groin and male testicle, and often retraction of the latter. There is also difficulty and pain in walking or erecting the body; but the rheumatick lumbago, with which it may be confounded, has no concomitant fever, nor disorder of the stomach; and has more intense pain on bending or erecting the body. It is always dangerous and precipitate, especially when the urine is suppressed, terminating within seven, or, the utmost, fourteen days, by discussion, suppuration, gangrene, scirrhus: discussion indicated by a copious flow of urine and sweats.