S84 Analyses of Books. [Mav, 



feather, into the throat. By persisting in this treatment many per- 

 sons poisoned by arsenic have recovered. 



Of the antimonlal preparations there is scarcely any likely to be 

 administered, or to be taken internally, so as to produce death, 

 except tartar emetic, which is a triple salt composed of tartrate of 

 potash and protaitrate of antimony united together. This salt is 

 usually administered as an emetic, and it generally acts in that way 

 with great violence. When vomiting does not take place it acts as 

 a poison, occasions violent spasms of the oesophagus and neck, 

 which prevent the possibility of swallowing. When it is admi- 

 nistered to dogs, and their oesophagus is tied up so as to prevent 

 vomiting, the consequence is death. Wlien a person is poisoned 

 with tartar emetic, our object should be to produce vomiting, and 

 for this purpose warm water is the most efficacious remedy. The 

 decoction of yellow bark likewise, proposed by Berthollet, is of 

 service, when administered in such quantities as to decompose tlie 

 salts. 



Perhaps no poisons arc so frequent as the preparations of copper. 

 This metal is used for so many purposes connected with the prepara- 

 tion of food, it is so easily oxidized, and all its compounds are of 

 so deleterious a nature, that many instances must occur of injurious 

 effects from it. The most common preparations of copper likely 

 to be applied as poisons are verdigris, acetate of copper, sulphate 

 of copper, nitrate of copper, muriate of copper, and copper dis- 

 solved by fat. The taste of all these preparations is exceedingly 

 disagreeable ; but they may be mixed in small quantities with food 

 without being perceived. The preparations of copper occasion 

 violent colics, vomiting, prostration of strength, and death. The 

 best antidote is sugar, either swallowed solid, or dissolved in water. 

 It should be taken both ways, and in considerable quanthies. The 

 liquid induces vomiting, and thus gets rid of a portion of the poison. 



The only preparation of tin likely to be used as a poison is the 

 muriate which is used in considerable quantities by the dyers. Its 

 taste is exceedingly nauseous. It occasions violent colics, vomiting, 

 and death. The best antidote is milk, which, when drank in con- 

 siderable quantity, seldom fails to cure the patient, by decomposing 

 the salt and removing all the disagreeable symptoms. 



Zinc is so little employed for culinary purposes that it is but 

 rarely that it can act as a poison. The sulphate of zinc, liowever, 

 is so common a salt, that it has been often administered in consi- 

 derable quantities by mistake. It is by no means a dangerous 

 poison ; for it acts speedily as an emetic, and is thrown out of the 

 system before it has time to produce bad effects. The business of 

 tiie physician is to promote this effect by making the patient swallow 

 considerable quantities of warm water. INIiik also, which decom- 

 poses the salt, may be administered with advantage. 



Nitrate of silver is well known as one of the most corrosive salts 

 employed in pharmacy. W'hen introduced into the stomach it soon 



