POISONING 177 



administered hypodermically to produce prompt vomi- 

 tion of the unabsorbed portion of the poison. No mat- 

 ter what treatment is resorted to for the purpose of 

 allaying the spasms, this emetic must be given first of 

 all; unless the quantity of strychnin ingested be very 

 small, all other treatment is futile, and a fatal termi- 

 nation certain if this is neglected. 



If the patient can swallow, the emetic may be 

 followed by a liberal dose of oil. To control the 

 spasms, the animal must be chloroformed, or an 

 intravenous injection of chloral hydrate may be 

 given. Large doses of morphin sulphate may also 

 be used subcutaneously ; but the treatment that has 

 given the best results, and has in addition the ad- 

 vantage of easy administration, is the hypodermic 

 injection, after the production of emesis, of from 

 three to five tablets of H-M-C (No. 1). The main 

 object is to keep the patient free from spasms until 

 the poison is eliminated. These injections of the 

 H-M-C tablets should be repeated in sufficient dose 

 to attain the result, the procedure being entirely 

 without danger. The patient when completely nar- 

 cotized should be placed in a dark and quiet place 

 and all noise and excitement avoided, or a return 

 of the paroxysms will result. 



Hydrocyanic Acid and Potassium Cyanid 



These poisons are sometimes used by the dog 

 poisoner, the latter being the more used of the two. 



Symptoms. — The rapidity with which this poison 

 usually acts does not allow of the development of 

 definite symptoms, but when relatively small toxic 

 doses have been given (luckily the commercial potas- 

 smm cyanid is often impure) the following symptoms 

 appear in a few minutes after the ingestion of the 

 poison : Great distress, difficulty in breathing, head 

 and neck extended, and convulsive movements of 



