POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 
The symptoms of poisoning always ap- 
pear very rapidly, and this fact, combined 
with the urgency of the symptoms and the 
great distress of the animal, usually leads 
us to guess what has happened. 
Poisons are divided into three classes: 
the irritant, the narcotic, and the narcotico- 
irritants. 
The irritant class give rise to great pain 
in the stomach and belly, which is often 
tense and swollen, while the vomited mat- 
ters are sometimes tinged with blood. The 
sickness and retching are very distressing ; 
so, too, at times is the diarrhoea. 
The narcotic, such as opium, morphia, 
etc., act upon the brain and spinal cord, 
causing drowsiness, giddiness, and stupor, 
accompanied at times by convulsions o1 
paralysis. 
The narcotico-irritants give rise to in- 
tense thirst, great pain in the stomach, with 
vomiting and purging. 
Whenever it is suspected that a dog 
has swallowed narcotic poison, the first 
thing to do is to encourage vomiting by the 
mouth. We must get rid of all the poison 
we can as speedily as possible. Sulphate 
of zinc—dose, five to twenty grains or more 
in water—is one of the speediest emetics we 
have; or sulphate of copper—dose, three 
to ten grains—is good. At the same time 
the dog must be well drenched with luke- 
warm water. 
The symptoms and general treatment of 
the more common poisons are given below, 
but I advise the amateur to send at once 
for a veterinary surgeon when the sudden 
on-coming of pain, distress, restlessness, 
vomiting, etc., indicate that the dog has 
picked up something. 
Acip, CarBoLic.—In whatever way this 
is introduced into the system it is followed 
by symptoms of great pain, sickness, 
shivering, and trembling, prostration or 
collapse. Olive oil or white of egg drench. 
Drench of sulphate of magnesia. Wrap- 
ping in hot rug, with hot-water bottles; the 
administration of brandy and water with 
sal-volatile. 
ANTIMONY, or tartar emetic, rare in dog 
poisoning, but there are cases seen.—Give 
emetics and demulcents, barley water, white 
of egg mixed in water, magnesia, arrow- 
root and milk. Afterwards stimulants for 
75 
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collapse. Wrap warmly up in a rug and 
put near fire. 
ARSENIC.—The poison may have been 
put down for cats or dogs. It is found in 
many rat pastes and in vermin killers, also 
in fly papers, which should never be placed 
in the way of puppies. 
Symptoms.—There is depression at first, 
soon followed by terrible pain in stomach 
and throat, hacking and coughing, vomit- 
ing of brown matter and mucus, purging, 
great thirst, exhaustion, and collapse. 
Treatment.—Emetic to encourage vomit- 
ing, drenching with salt and water or soapv 
water; milk, flour and water. Magnesia 
in large doses, or from a drachm to an 
ounce of dialysed iron after more urgent 
symptoms have abated, barley water, stimu- 
lants to overcome depression, hot fomenta- 
tions and linseed poultices to stomach; 
rest. 
CANTHARIDES, or fly blister—A puppy 
has been known to pick up and swallow 
this. Pain, great restlessness, and vomit- 
ing of mucus and blood. Emetics, fol- 
lowed by demulcents, white of egg, milk, 
or gruel. (N.B.—No fat or oil of any 
kind.) When the urgent symptoms are re- 
lieved, linseed poultices to abdomen, rest 
and warmth. 
Copper (in form of verdigris, perhaps). 
—Same treatment as for cantharides. 
IODINE or IODIDE or PoTassiumM.—The 
former is sometimes used to reduce glandu- _ 
lar swellings, and too much of the latter is 
often given in medicine. Iodide of potas- 
sium, long administered, destroys appetite, 
and reduces the flesh. Emetic, if the 
poisoning be acute; wine of ipecacuanha 
or sulphate of zinc in hot water; demul- 
cents, plenty of starch and gruel in full 
doses, and stimulants. 
LeEaD, as in white paint, crayons, French 
chalk.—Give emetics, Epsom salts in hot 
water; then demulcents and poultices to 
stomach. 
Mercury.—In the older books the green 
iodide of mercury, white precipitate, etc., 
were recommended for skin and parasite 
troubles. Well, they killed the parasites 
and often—the dog. Care should be taken 
when putting ointments of any kind on the 
skin that the dog does not lick the dressing 
off. Dogs believe in the curative efficacy 
