VEGETABLE POISONS. 245 



and when the pulse flags and stupor intervenes, 

 full doses of volatile alkali, ether, brandy and 

 water, blisters, sinapisms to the feet, and other 

 stimuli, and frequent rousing of the patient from 

 his lethargy must be resorted to, under the hopes 

 of keeping up the arterial action, before a fatal 

 exhaustion has taken place. 



I shall conclude my account of the narcotic 

 poisons by introducing to your notice, the Prussic 

 Acid, which, though derived principally from 

 animal substances, is one of the strongest narcotic 

 poisons probably in nature; and in activity and 

 virulence, takes the lead of all the other poisons. 



This acid, which is composed of hydrogen, 

 nitrogen, and carbon, is prepared from dried 

 blood, or the horns or hoofs of animals by distil- 

 lation with fixed alkali ; or it may be obtained 

 by decomposing the prussian iron or stone blue, 

 of which it forms one of the constituent parts. 



The prussic acid exists in the form of a colour- 

 less fluid; and has a strong odour resembling 

 that of the peach tree blossoms. \Vhen in the state 

 of vapour or gas, it is very volatile and inflamma- 

 tory; and it has an acrid and acid taste, though 

 possessing very few of the other properties of the 

 acids. It exists in a natural state in bitter 

 almonds, the kernels of apricots, the leaves of 

 laurel, and in peach blossoms, and in Germany, 

 it has lately been discovered in opium; from 

 which we may conjecture, that all narcotic vege- 

 tables possess a portion of this acid, It has also 



