358 THE LESIONS INDUCED BY POISONS. 



The presence of carbonic acid in the gas may obscure the bright red of the carbonic 

 oxide by the dark color which it induces in the blood. 



Carbonic Acid. 



The lesions are essentially those of asphyxia, but the brain is said to be more fre- 

 quently congested than in asphyxia by simple obstruction of respiration. 



Conium, Aconite, Lobelia Inflata, Digitalis, Stramonium. 



These vegetable poisons are administered in their natural form of leaves, berries, 

 and roots, or in tinctures, infusions, and extracts, or in the form of their active alka- 

 loid principles. 



If the leaves, berries, or seeds are given they may be detected in the contents of 

 the alimentary canal by microscopical examination. Otherwise the results of autopsies 

 are not characteristic. 



The brain and its membranes, and the lungs, may be congested. The stomach may 

 present patches of congestion, inflammation, and extravasation, or its entire mucous 

 coat may be inflamed, or it may appear normal. 



Ptomains and Other Putrefactive Products. 



Poisonous substances of various kinds are often developed in the putrefaction of 

 organic substances, and certain alkaloidal substances called ptomai'ns form in the de- 

 composition of proteids without putrefaction. Thus in sausages, some kinds of cheese, 

 ice-cream, decayed fish and mussels, such substances have caused serious and even fatal 

 poisoning. There are no characteristic post-mortem changes in poisoning by these sub- 

 stances. But the lesions of gastro-intestinal inflammation or toxaemia may be present. 



These alkaloidal substances may be of extreme importance in certain cases of death 

 from obscure causes on account of the medico-legal questions which may arise. 1 



Bibliography of Endogenous Poisons. 



For a more detailed consideration of poisons, their effects, modes of detection, etc., 

 consult Taylor on Poisons; Maschka's "Handbuch der gerichtlichen Medicin," Bd. ii. ; 

 Woodman and Tidy, "Forensic Medicine." Wormley's "Micro-chemistry of Poisons" 

 contains a series of good plates of the microscopical appearance of various forms of 

 crystals of poisonous substances. 



Lesser' s " Atlas der gerichtlichen Medicin " contains a series of colored plates show- 

 ing the appearance of the stomach after the action of various poisons. The work of 

 Guy and Ferrier on "Forensic Medicine," 7th ed., revised by Smith, contains in very 

 compact and reliable form much information on the general subjects treated in the fore- 

 going section. Lewiris "Lehrbuch der Toxicologie" contains many valuable and 

 suggestive general considerations on the action of poisons. 



Lesions Induced by Endogenous Poisons Auto- 

 intoxications. 



As we turn now from poisons formed outside of the body to those 

 formed within it the enSogenous^poisons we encounter at once two 

 classes: 1. Those poisons which arise from the metabolism of micro-, 

 organisms. IL~TEose wnicn arisejtrom the normal or "aberrant metabo- 

 lism of the body cells themselves. 



'For chemical aspects of this subject consult Vaughn in Hamilton's "System of 

 Legal Medicine," vol. i., p. 475, and Vaughn and Novy, "Cellular Toxins " ; also Vaughn 

 in " Twentieth Century Practice, " vol. xiii. 



