POISONS AND POISONING. 



By the late V. T. ATKINSON, V. 8., 



Professor of Veterinary Science, Wisconsin Stale University, Ex-State Veterinarian, 



Wisconsin, etc. 



To clearly define the meaning of the word poison would be somewhat 

 difficult. Even in law the word has never been defined, and when a 

 definition is attempted we are apt to include either too much or too 

 little. The following is perhaps as clear a definition as it is possible to 

 give: "A poison is a substance having an inherent deleterious prop- 

 erty rendering it capable of destroying life by whatever avenue it 

 li mis access to the system, or it is a substance which, when introduced 

 into the system or applied externally, injures health or destroys life 

 irrespective of mechanical means or thermal changes." The common 

 conception of a ix>ison is any substance which will destroy life, in small 

 quantity, excepting such as act by purely mechanical means, as, for 

 example, powdered glass. 



THE ACTION OF POISONS. 



This may be either local, and exerted directly on the tissues with 

 which they come in contact, or remote, acting through the circulation 

 or net von- .-yMem; or both local and remote action may be exerted by 

 the same drug. Poisons which act locally generally either destroy by 

 corrosion the tissues with which they come in contact, or by inhalation 

 set up acute inflammation. When any corrosive agent is taken into the 

 stomach in poisonous quantities a group of symptoms is developed 

 which is common to all. The tissues with which the agent conies in 

 contact are destroyed, sloughing and acute inflammation of the surround 

 ing structures take place ; intense pain in the abdomen and death ensue. 

 In a like manner, but with less rapidity, the same result is reached 

 if the agent used bo not of a sufficiently corrosive nature to destroy 

 the tissues, but snlnciently irritating to set up acute inflammation of 

 the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. (W the poisons exert- 

 ing a remote influence, the Action is quite different, little or no local 

 effect luting produced upon the digestive organs. Tho poisons, when 

 absorbed and transmitted through the agency of the eircnlation, cxort 



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