[ 4H ] 



pcnfity may be increafed as long as may be con- 

 venient, by mere dilution. But where an hour or 

 more has elapfed before the accident is difcovered, 

 a portion of the poifon has already entered the bow- 

 els, and cannot now be difcharged by vomiting, 

 but requires peculiar management; which brings 

 me to the fecond indication. 



Second Indication, Which is, to corre6t the re- 

 maining poifon by proper antidotes, if any fuch be 

 known, or to difcharge it downwards as fpcedily as 

 pofTible. Fortunately this may be generally accom- 

 plifhed where the nature of the poifon is previoufly 

 known, and the remedy adminiftered before the in- 

 ternal parts are irreparably injured. This applies 

 indeed principally to the poifons of the metallick 

 clafs, which are much better underftood than thofc 

 of the vegetable kind, and of courfe more eafily 

 decompofed by chemical agents. 



Thus if to a folution of verdigris, which is 

 known to confift of copper combined with an acid> 

 we prefent an alkali or abforbent earth, we know, 

 from the laws of chemical attradlion, that the acid 

 prefers either of thefe bodies to copper, and will 

 therefore depofit the metal in form of an inadlive 

 calx, now deftitute of the virulence it lately pof- 

 feffed from the acid. Therefore it may be very 



advifeable> 



