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POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES.

Accidents from poisoning are of such frequent occurrence, that every one should be able to administer the more common antidotes, until the services of a physician can be obtained. As many poisons bear a close resemblance to articles in common use, no dangerous substance should be brought into the household without having the word poison plainly written or printed on the label; and any package, box, or vial, without a label, should be at once destroyed, if the contents are not positively known.

When a healthy person is taken severely and suddenly ill soon after some substance has been swallowed, we may suspect that he has been poisoned. In all cases where poison has been taken into the stomach, it should be quickly and thoroughly evacuated by some active emetic, which can be speedily obtained. This may be accomplished by drinking a tumblerful of warm water, containing either a tablespoonful of powdered mustard or of common salt, or two teaspoonfuls of powdered alum in two tablespoonfuls of syrup. When vomiting has already taken place, it should be maintained by copious draughts of warm water or mucilaginous drinks, such as gum-water or flaxseed tea, and tickling the throat with the finger until there is reason to believe that all the poisonous substance has been expelled from the stomach.

The following list embraces only the more common poisons, together with such antidotes as are usually at hand, to be used until the physician arrives.

POISONS.

Acids.—Hydrochloric acid; muriatic acid (spirits of salt); nitric acid (aqua fortis); sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol).

Antidote.—An antidote should be given at once to neutralize the acid. Strong soapsuds is an efficient remedy, and can always be obtained. It should be followed by copious draughts of warm water or flaxseed tea. Chalk, magnesia, soda or saleratus (with water) or lime-water, are the best remedies. When sulphuric acid has been taken, water should be given sparingly, because, when water unites with this acid, intense heat is produced.

Oxalic acid.

Antidote.—Oxalic acid resembles Epsom salts in appearance, and may easily be mistaken for it. The antidotes are magnesia, or chalk mixed with water.

Prussic Acid; oil of bitter almonds; laurel water; cyanide of potassium (used in electrotyping).

Antidote.—Cold douche to the spine. Chlorine water, or water of ammonia largely diluted, should be given, and the vapor arising from them may be inhaled.

Alkalies and their Salts.—Ammonia (hartshorn), liquor or water of ammonia. Potassa:—caustic potash, strong ley, carbonate of potassa (pearlash), nitrate of potassa (saltpetre).

Antidote.—Give the vegetable acids diluted, as weak vinegar, acetic, citric, or tartaric acids dissolved in water. Castor oil, linseed oil, and sweet oil may also be used; they form soaps when mixed with the free alkalies, which they thus render harmless. The poisonous effects of saltpetre must be counteracted by taking mucilaginous drinks freely, so as to produce vomiting.

Alcohol.—Brandy, wine; all spirituous liquors.

Antidote.—Give as an emetic ground mustard or tartar emetic. If the patient cannot swallow, introduce a stomach pump; pour cold water on the head.

Gases.—Chlorine, carbonic acid gas, carbonic oxide, fumes of burning charcoal, sulphuretted hydrogen, illuminating or coal-gas.

Antidote.—For poisoning by chlorine, inhale, cautiously, ammonia (hartshorn). For the other gases, cold water should be poured upon the head, and stimulants cautiously administered; artificial respiration. (See Marshall Hall's Ready Method, page 250.)

Metals.—Antimony, tartar emetic, wine of antimony, etc.

Antidote.—If vomiting has not occurred, it should be produced by tickling the throat with the finger or a feather, and the abundant use of warm water. Astringent infusions, such as common tea, oak bark, and solution of tannin, act as antidotes.

Arsenic.—White arsenic, Fowler's solution, fly-powder, cobalt, Paris green, etc.

Antidote.—Produce vomiting at once with a tablespoonful or two of powdered mustard in a glass of warm water, or with ipecac. The antidote is hydrated peroxide of iron. If Fowler's solution has been taken, lime-water must be given.

Copper.—Acetate of copper (verdigris), sulphate of copper (blue vitriol), food cooked in dirty copper vessels, or pickles made green by copper.

Antidote.—Milk or white of eggs, with mucilaginous drinks (flaxseed tea, etc.), should be freely given.

Iron.—Sulphate of iron (copperas), etc.

Antidote.—Carbonate of soda in some mucilaginous drink, or in water, is an excellent antidote.

Lead.—Acetate of lead (sugar of lead), carbonate of lead (white lead), water kept in leaden pipes or vessels, food cooked in vessels glazed with lead.

Antidote.—Induce vomiting with ground mustard or common salt in warm water. The antidote for soluble preparations of lead is Epsom salts; for the insoluble forms, sulphuric acid largely diluted.

Mercury.—Bichloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate), ammoniated mercury (white precipitate), red oxide of mercury (red precipitate), red sulphuret of mercury (vermilion).

Antidote.—The white of eggs, or wheat flour beaten up with water and milk, are the best antidotes.

Silver.—Nitrate of silver (lunar caustic).

Antidote.—Give a teaspoonful of common salt in a tumbler of water. It decomposes the salts of silver and destroys their activity.

Zinc.—Sulphate of zinc, etc. (white vitriol).

Antidote.—The vomiting may be relieved by copious draughts of warm water. The antidote is carbonate of soda administered in water.

Narcotic Poisons.—Opium (laudanum, paregoric, salts of morphia, Godfrey's cordial, Dalby's carminative, soothing syrup, cholera mixtures), aconite, belladonna, hemlock, stramonium, digitalis, tobacco, hyosciamus, nux vomica, strychnine.

Antidote.—Evacuate the stomach by the most active emetics, as mustard, alum, or sulphate of zinc. The patient should be kept in motion, and cold water dashed on the head and shoulders. Strong coffee must be given. The physician will use the stomach pump and electricity. In poisoning by nux vomica or strychnine, etc., chloroform or ether should be inhaled to quiet the spasms.

Irritant Vegetable Poisons.—Croton oil, oil of savine, poke, oil of tansy, etc.

Antidote.—If vomiting has taken place, it may be rendered easier by copious draughts of warm water. But if symptoms of insensibility have come on without vomiting, it ought to be immediately excited by ground mustard mixed with warm water, or some other active emetic and after its operation an active purgative should be given. After evacuating as much of the poison as possible, strong coffee or vinegar and water may be given with advantage.

Poisonous Fish.—Conger eel, mussels, crabs, etc.

Antidote.—Evacuate, as soon as possible, the contents of the stomach and bowels by emetics (ground mustard mixed with warm water or powdered alum), and castor oil, drinking freely at the same time of vinegar and water. Ether, with a few drops of laudanum mixed with sugar and water, may afterward be taken freely.

Poisonous Serpents.—Antidote.—A ligature or handkerchief should be applied moderately tight above the bite, and a cupping-glass over the wound. The patient should drink freely of alcoholic stimulants containing a small quantity of ammonia. The physician may inject ammonia into the veins.

Poisonous Insects.—Stings of scorpion, hornet, wasp, bee, etc.

Antidote.—A piece of rag moistened with a solution of carbolic acid may be kept on the affected part until the pain is relieved; and a few drops of carbolic acid may be given frequently in a little water. The sting may be removed by making strong pressure around it with the barrel of a small watch-key.

DROWNING.

Marshall Hall's "Ready Method" of treatment in asphyxia from drowning, chloroform, coal gas, etc.

1st. Treat the patient instantly on the spot, in the open air, freely exposing the face, neck, and chest to the breeze, except in severe weather.

2d. In order to clear the throat, place the patient gently on the face, with one wrist under the forehead, that all fluid, and the tongue itself, may fall forward, and leave the entrance into the windpipe free.

3d. To excite respiration, turn the patient slightly on his side, and apply some irritating or stimulating agent to the nostrils, as veratrine, dilute ammonia, etc.

4th. Make the face warm by brisk friction; then dash cold water upon it.

5th. If not successful, lose no time; but, to imitate respiration, place the patient on his face, and turn the body gently, but completely on the side, and a little beyond; then again on the face, and so on, alternately. Repeat these movements, deliberately and perseveringly, fifteen times only in a minute. (When the patient lies on the thorax, this cavity is compressed by the weight of the body, and expiration takes place. When he is turned on the side, this pressure is removed, and inspiration occurs.)

6th. When the prone position is resumed, make a uniform and efficient pressure along the spine, removing the pressure immediately, before rotation on the side. (The pressure augments the expiration: the rotation commences inspiration.) Continue these measures.

7th. Rub the limbs upward, with firm pressure and with energy. (The object being to aid the return of venous blood to the heart.)

8th. Substitute for the patient's wet clothing, if possible, such other covering as can be instantly procured, each bystander supplying a coat or cloak, etc. Meantime, and from time to time, to excite inspiration, let the surface of the body be slapped briskly with the hand.

9th. Rub the body briskly till it is dry and warm, then dash cold water upon it, and repeat the rubbing.

Avoid the immediate removal of the patient, as it involves a dangerous loss of time—also, the use of bellows, or any forcing instrument; also, the warm bath, and all rough treatment.