310 ARSENIC. 



on the living system arc numerous, complicated, and not very 

 determinate : the most constant, are signs of violent inflammation 

 in the stomach ; but, in some few instances, there is little sign of 

 irritation in any part of the alimentary canal, and the patient is 

 chiefly affected with excessive prostration of strength, frequent 

 fainting, hectic fever, paralysis, and other affections of the nervous 

 system. The ordinary symptoms are, sickness and vomiting, 

 violent burning pain in the region of the stomach, increased on 

 pressure, a sense of great pain, dryness and constriction in the 

 throat, hoarseness and difficulty of speech, gripings, tenesmus and 

 diarrhoea, painful or difficult micturition, and sometimes total sup- 

 pression of urine : the respiration becomes difficult, thepulse is small, 

 rapid, irregular, and often almost imperceptible, accompanied with 

 cold clammy sweats and lividity of the feet and hands ; the coun- 

 tenance is collapsed, and expressive of great anxiety, the eyes are 

 red and sparkling, the tongue and mouth parched, and sometimes 

 apthous ulcerations are perceived on the tongue ; delirium, stupor, 

 and convulsions, sometimes accompany the last stage, and death 

 often occurs about twenty-four hours after the poison is swallowed. 

 The visible effects of arsenic on the body after death will not be 

 found uniform, but vary very much in different cases. The body 

 is sometimes swelled and livid, but more frequently natural, the 

 lungs are sometimes black and distended with blood; the pharynx 

 and oesophagus are generally in their natural state, but the stomach 

 and intestines are almost always inflamed, abraded, or ulcerated. 

 Mr. Brodie, in his experiments, found the inflammation greatest 

 in the stomach and rectum ; but in many instances the inflamma- 

 tory appearances are often very slight, and death seems to take 

 place from some influence of the poison on the nervous system 

 and heart. 



In cases of poisoning by this substance, the contents of the 

 stomach should be carefully collected, and after washing them, the 

 arsenious acid, if any be present, will generally be found in the 

 form of a white powder, at the bottom of the vessel into which they 

 are put. There are two methods by which we can determine 

 whether it be the arsenious acid; — 1st, by reducing it to the 

 metallic state ; 2d, by the application of tests or re-agents in the 



