CHAPTER XI 



CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS^ SYMPTOMS AND ANTIDOTES 



Blyth classifies poisons as follows : 



A. Poisons causing death immediately or in a few minutes. Prussic 

 acid, cyanides, oxalic acid and occasionally, strychnin. 



B. Irritant poisons. Symptoms mainly pain, vomiting, and purging. 

 Savin, ergot, digitalis, colchicum, yew, laburnum, and putrid substances. 



C. Irritant and Narcotic Poisons. Symptoms of an irritant nature, with 

 more or less cerebral indications. Oxalic acid or oxalates. 



D. Poisons more especially affecting the Nervous System. 



1. Narcotics. Chief symptoms: insensibility which may be preceded by 

 more or less cerebral excitement. Opium. 



2. Deliriants. Delirium, for the most part, a prominent symptom: Bella- 

 donna, hyoscyamus, stramonium, and other Solanaceae, poisonous fungi, Indian 

 hemp (Cannabis), darnel {Lolium temulentum) , camphor and Oenanthe crocata. 



3. Convulsives. Almost every poison has been known to produce con- 

 vulsive effects, but the only true convulsive poisons are the alkaloids of the 

 strychnin class. 



4. Complex nervous phenomena. Aconite, digitalis, poison hemlock. Cala- 

 bar bean, tobacco, Lobelia inflata, and curare. 



Robert's classification is as follows : 



I. Poisons which cause coarse anatomical changes of the organs. 



A. Those which especially irritate the part to which they are applied. 



1. Acids. 



2. Caustic alkalies. 



3. Caustic salts, especially those of the heavy metals. 



4. Locally irritating organic substances which neither can be classified as 

 corrosive acids nor alkalies, nor as corrosive salts; such are: cantharadin 

 phrynin, and others in the animal kingdom, croton oil and savin in the vege- 

 table kingdom ; locally irritating colors, such as the anilin dyes. 



5. Gases and vapors which cause local irritation when breathed; such as 

 ammonia, chlorin, iodin, bromin, and sulphur dioxid. 



B. Those which have but little effect locally, but change anatomically other 

 parts of the body; such as lead, phosphorus, and others. 



II. Blood Poisons. 



1. Blood poisons interfering with the circulation in a purely physical 

 manner; such as peroxid of hydrogen, ricin, abrin. 



2. Poisons which have the property of dissolving the red corpuscles ; such 

 as the saponins. 



3. Poisons which, with or without primary solution of the red blood 

 corpuscles, produce in the blood methaemoglobin ; such as potassic chlorate, 

 hydrazine, nitrobenzene, anilin, picric acid, carbon disulphid. 



