POISONS AND STATISTICS ON POISONS 5 



lis, and La.ciuca virosa. Many poisonous fungi are enumerated in the second 

 part. 



It is interesting here to note their classifications of poisons. Sobernheim 

 classifies the poisons into, A. vegetable poisons, B. nervous poisons, C. blood 

 poisons. Orfila clasifies poisons into four classes, (1) irritant, acrid, corrosive, 

 (2) narcotic, (3) narcotic acrid, (4) septic poisons. In 1834 Brandt and Ratze- 

 burg classified poisons as to their origin into (1) mineral, (2) plant, (3) animal. 

 Brandt and Ratzeberg in their treatise on plant poisons make three divisions (1) 

 narcotic (stupefying), (2) acrid (inflammatory), (3) narcotic (inflammatory). 

 They use the classification of Buchner which is as follows:- (1) narcotic, a 

 HCN Prunus, b, volatile narcotic, Lolium, c, narcotic alkaloidal, Poppy; (2) 

 acrid narcotic, Cicuta, Conium, Ruta, Digitalis; (3) irritant narcotic, a, Aconite, 

 Oleander, Rhus, Smartweed, b, more volatile, hot acrid, Dirca, Pepper ; (4) 

 acrid, a, drastic resins, Bryonia, Hypericum, Melia, b, drastic coloring matter, 

 Abrus, Spartium, Pokeweed, c, emetic alkaloids, Iris, Colchicum, Narcissus, d, 

 unknown poisons, Agaricus, Boletus, Phallus, Lycoperdon. Fodere divided 

 poisons into septic, narcotic, narcoacrid, acrid, irritant and astringent. 



Statistics of Poisoning. 



The use of poisons for criminal purposes, although not nearly so extensive 

 at the present time as during the middle ages, still plays an important part in 

 criminal law. The following statistics afford some indication of the use of 

 poisons for suicidal and homicidal purposes. 



According to the last census of the United States, the number of persons 

 reported as poisoned was as follows : 



By Active 

 Poisons By Gas ^ 



1902 1374 950 



1903 1551 1715 



1904 1632 . 2167 



1905 1269 1306 



1906 1734 1276 



Intentional cases of poisoning in live stock are not nearly so frequent as are 

 those in the human family, although there are many cases of the former on rec- 

 ord. Poisoning of live stock is generally accidental, caused by consuming plants 

 that are poisonous. Large losses occur annually in this way. In 1900 Prof. Ches- 

 nut and Dr. Wilcox investigated the conditions in Montana relative to this subject 

 and published the following statistics resulting from their studies. They state 

 that probably not more than one fourth of the actual cases occurring came 

 under their observation. 



1 These numbers include deaths during, or as a result of conflagrations. The annual 

 average was 1412 from active poisons and 1365 from gas. From 1900-1904, the number of 

 deaths by poison averaged 4.5 per 100,000. 



