200 



TOXICOLOGICAL CHART. 



test-tube : the heat of a spirit lamp is now 

 to be applied ; first to the upper part of the 

 mixture, and afterwards steadily to the bot- 

 tom of the tube, when, if arsenious acid is 

 present, the metal arsenicum will be sub- 

 limed, and, encoating the tube, form a ring 

 of a polished-steel lustre, the inner surface 

 of which is crystalline. The little watery 

 vapor, which will be condensed within the 

 tube before the metallic crust begins to ap- 

 pear,* is to be removed by a roll of bibulous 

 paper. 



2c?, by Liquid Re-agents. — The contents 

 of the stomach, or such parts of that viscvis 

 as have been acted upon, being boiled in 

 distilled water, the solution is to be filtered. 

 The ammoniacal sulphate of copper added to 

 this gives an apple-green precipitate, the ar- 

 senite of copper. The ammoniacahiitrate of 

 silver, a lemon-yellow precipitate, changing 

 to a dark brown on exposure to light, the 

 arsenite of silver. Sulphuretted Hydrogen, 

 — generated by the action of dilute suphu- 

 ric acid on suphuret of iron, in a flask, hav- 

 ing an emerging tube bent at a double right 

 angle, — passed up through the solution for 

 ten or fifteen minutes, gives a sulphur yel- 

 low precipitate, the sulphuret of arsenicum. 

 Water impregnated wdth this gas affords 

 the like compound. The solution for this 

 test must be perfectly neutral. This pre- 

 cipitate may be afterwards subjected to re- 

 duction. 



Zd, by Nascent Hydrogen. — This is ef- 

 fected in Marsh's tube. The fluid con- 

 tents of the stomach, or the filtered solution 

 before spoken of, being introduced into it, 

 zinc and sulphuric acid are added, and the 

 arseniuretted hydrogen as it escapes from 

 the jet inflamed, when ivater and metallic 

 arsenic will be condensed upon the glass 

 disc held above it. The former will be dis- 

 sipated by the heat, and around the latter 

 a ring of arsenious acid may be seen. In 

 the absence of a Marsh's tube, a common 

 two-ounce wide-mouthed vial, with a cork 

 perforated by a piece of glass tube or even 

 tobacco-pipe, may with care be made to an- 

 swer all the purpose. 



AGENT. 



HYDRARGVRI BICHLORIDUM. 



Bichloride of Mercury, 

 Corrosive Sublimate. 



Symptoms. — The effects which follow 

 the administration of large doses of this 

 salt, resemble those which supervene when 

 the mineral acids have been given, except 

 that, generally, super-purgation is present, 

 and the foecal matter is profuse and highly 

 offensive. Its solubility renders it more 

 energetic than arsenious acid, although it is 

 not so frequently had recourse to for poi- 

 soning. 



The protochloride of mercury, calomel, 

 when incautiously given, has also caused 

 death, by inducing inflammation of the mu- 

 cous lining of the intestines, accompanied 

 with violent purging and tenesmus. 



Treatment. — The white of eggs suspend- 

 ed in water, the albumen of which renders 

 the bichloride of mercury insoluble ; or large 

 quantities of wheat-flour, or milk. Iron 

 filings have also been advocated, which, 

 reviving the metallic mercury, may be ex- 

 pelled by purgatives ; a free use of dilutents. 

 The treatment of the salivation, which 

 sometimes supervenes, consists in exposure 

 to cool air, the exhibition of saline purga- 

 tives, and nourishing diet. 



Morbid Appearances. — These would 

 closely resemble the effects produced by the 

 above agent, the mucous lining of the ali- 

 mentary canal being intensely inflamed 

 throughout, its texture destroyed, and in 

 parts corroded. The disorganized tissue 

 often contains the poison, which it yields 

 by analysis. 



Tests. — Lime-icater, which throws down 

 an orange yellow precipitate, the hyd rated 

 binoxide of mercury. 



Iodide of Potassium, which gives a beau- 

 tiful scarlet compound, the biniodide of 

 mercury. 



Protochloride of Tin, which first aflbrds 

 a whitish precipitate, the protochloride of 

 mercury ; and, on adding more of the test 

 a grayish-black powder is formed, wliich 



