CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS 73 



4. Poisons having a peculiar action on the coloring matter of the blood, 

 or on its decomposition products; such as hydric cyanid, and the cyanides and 

 carbon monoxid. 



III. Poisons which kill without the production of coarse anatomical 



CHANGE. 



1. Poisons affecting the cerebro-spinal system; such as chloroform, ether, 

 nitrous oxid, alcohol, chloral, cocain, airopin, morphin, nicotin, coniin, aconitin, 

 strychnin, curarin, and others. 



2. Heart poisons; such as digitalis, helleborin, muscarin. 



IV. Poisonous product of tissue change. 



1. Poisonous albumin. 



2. Poisons developed in food. 



3. Auto -poisoning, e. g. uraemia, glycosuria, oxaluria. 



4. The more important products of tissue change; such as, fatty acids, 

 oxy-acids, amido-fatty acids, amines, diamines, and ptomaines. 



CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS AND POISONOUS SYMPTOMS, 

 ACCORDING TO BERNHARD H. SMITH 



POISONS ACTING ON THE BRAIN 

 I 

 narcotics 



Symptoms. Giddiness; dimness of sight; contracted pupils; headache; 

 noises in the ears; confusion of ideas, and drowsiness, passing into insensibility. 



Treatment. (Immediate) : 



EMETICS (especially mustard, a tablespoonful in half a tumbler of warm 

 water). 



STOMACH TUBE. (Wash out at half-hourly intervals with Potash Per- 

 manganate solution B. P. 1 per cent solution diluted three times with warm 

 water). Dash cold water on face and chest. Ammonia or Amyl Nitrite to 

 nostrils. 



(Later:) 



TANNIN. (Hot, strong coffee, tea, or infusions of nut-galls or oak-bark). 



Strychnin solution B. P. (Iper cent solution) two minims subcutaneously. 



Atropin, half grain subcutaneously, repeated if necessary. 



Faradic current. Oxygen. 



Artificial respiration if necessary. 



DEMULCENTS. (Milk, eggs, oil, etc., swallowed and injected). 



Note — All vegetable poisons act more quickly on the empty stomach; our 

 treatment therefore is directed towards (1) diluting and evacuating the poison 

 by means of washing out with warm water containing powdered charcoal; (2) 

 neutralizing the poison by means of an antidote such as Tannin. 



Plant producing poisons that act on the brain as narcotics — Poppy (Papaver 

 somniferum) . 



II 



deliriants 

 Symptoms. Spectral illusions; delirium; dilated pupils; thirst, and dryness 

 of the mouth; inco-ordination. Occasionally, though rarely, there are paralysis, 

 and tetanoid spasms. 



