This poison is well known, and is usually administered in the form of powder or tincture. Of the former, twenty-four grains have destroyed life; of the latter, one ounce. This poison has been employed as an aphrodisiac and to induce abortion, by persons ignorant of its dangerous effects. This is, perhaps, the most frequent cause of poisoning by cantharides. Applied externally it has proved fatal, as in the case of a girl affected with scabies, who anointed the whole of her body with cantharides ointment in mistake for that of sulphur. She died in five days, after suffering from the symptoms of poisoning by cantharides.

It produces an acrid taste, vomiting, purging, burning heat in the stomach, pain in the loins, severe strangury, bloody urine, and priapism. Then there is faintness with giddiness, the limbs become rigid, and delirium with convulsions precede death. Sometimes the matters ejected from the stomach or passed in the stools contain shining golden or green particles, the remains of the wing cases of the beetles, which constitute the drug, readily seen with a lens, or even with the naked eye.

After death, marks of inflammation are found in the alimentary canal, kidneys and bladder, and the genital organs.

Tests.—The detection of Spanish flies, if taken solid, depends mainly on the presence of the shining particles already alluded to, in the stomach, or in the vomited matters. To make their nature certain, however, an extract of the suspected materials should be prepared and treated repeatedly with chloroform or ether. This fluid is to be allowed to evaporate till only a few drops are left, which may be applied on lint to some portion of the body where the skin is fine, as the fore arm, the part being covered by a bit of isinglass plaster, or goldbeaters’ skin. The vesication produced is the test of the presence of cantharides.

No antidote is known. Vomiting must be excited or encouraged; and linseed tea, and gum water, or gruel copiously administered. The warm bath will afford great relief. Oil must be avoided, on account of its being a solvent of the active principle (cantharidine) of this poison.