THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 135 



immediately, nothing more would be required tlian to wash it with the 

 solution. 



As pigeons, upon which these experiments were made, are more 

 easily affected than mammals, the antidote which succeeds with them 

 more certainly succeeds in case of the bite on man. 



The principle on which the iodine operates in counteracting the 

 effect of these poisons, is most probably from its antiseptic properties. 



They belong to a class described by Orfila under the name of putre- 

 factive poisons, characterized by being innocuous, or of little activity, 

 when swallowed, but causing wounds upon which they are applied to 

 run rapidly into mortification. 



Iodine, like chlorine, has the effect of counteracting this change; pre- 

 venting the discoloration which results from such wounds, and the 

 alteration of the blood to which they give rise, while it possesses over 

 chlorine the additional advantage of not causing inflammation or mor- 

 tification, when injected under the skin and disseminated in the tissues. 



The practice of injecting it into the parts, instead of applying it upon 

 the surface, is founded upon the principle, now well established in 

 toxicology, that an antidote, to be effectual, must not only be intro- 

 duced into the system, but brought in contact with the poison where it 

 physically exists. 



Now for all inoculated poisons it is clear that to comply with this 

 condition the antidote must also be inoculated ; that is, introduced into 

 the same tissues, and take its course through the same vessels which 

 the poison has to traverse, to reach the vital organs. 



When the poison is inoculated and the antidote swallowed, or ap- 

 phed on the surface, it is impossible that they could be brought in con- 

 tact in more than the minutest proportions. 



Used in this wa}', the iodine also favors the production of adhesive 

 inflammation, whereby lymph is effused and coagulated around the 

 wound, absorption retarded, and the disease rendered less diffusive. 

 In this respect iodine, injected under the skin, is more efficient than 

 blisters or cauterization with the nitrate of silver, which can only act 

 superficially. 



Althouijh I have advanced the theory that iodine is an antidote to 



'Til 



septic poisons, by virtue of its anti-putrescent properties, I would not, 

 by any means, be understood as limiting its effects to this method of 

 action. On the contrar}^, I believe it is, to a certain extent, an antidote 

 for some poisons pertaining to other classes. 



Donne found it to counteract the action of strychnia to a great de- 

 gree ; and I have observed that it has a very considerable power as 

 an antidote to prussic acid, an action which its analogy to chlorine 

 would lead us to expect, as chlorine is well known to prevent the 

 effects of this acid. 



The plan of treatment which I recommend for the bite of serpents 

 and wounds from poisoned arrows, is — 



1st. To wash the part with a solution of iodine and iodide of potas- 

 sium, and apply cupping-glasses over the wound, or ligatures around 

 'the member, so as to prevent absorption. 



2d. If the wound be deep, or if absorption has already taken place, 



