819 
POISON. 
confequence of the exhauftion they Induce. The precife 
appearance of the cafe before us fliould therefore be our 
only guide in practice. The mufhrooms belong alfo to 
this clafs : they are longer in producing their fpecific 
effeCts, and are faid to caufe delirium, and a fmafll and 
frequent pulfe. 
As to the treatment of this clafs of poifons, that of the 
mineral poifons confift (after their evacuation or neutra¬ 
lization) merely in fubduing inflammation ; for no me¬ 
dicine can a£t on a poifon when beyond the ftomach, or 
at moft the bowels. Inflammation, which is a confe¬ 
quence, is all therefore we have to do with. This 
feldom requires general bleeding: twelve or fifteen 
leeches fliould be put on the painful parts of the abdo¬ 
men, repeated as often as neceflary, and fliifted with the 
feat of the pain. The warm bath and fomentations to 
the belly are alfo highly approved of. During recovery, 
nothing but broths and diluent drinks is to be taken. 
The convulfive movements may be much alleviated by 
opium or extraCt of poppy. 
Tiie treatment of the vegetable poifons of this clafs 
requires more difcrimination. The common purges, 
when not given in excefiive dofes, have their effeCts 
better counteracted by the ufe of opium and mild 
diluting liquors, than by bleeding. There is alfo, 
in fome cafes, an extreme faintnefs, which requires 
for fome time the exhibition of general ftimulants, 
even though local inflammation may indicate leeching 
or bliftering. Sometimes it is proper to give a purge to 
carry off the poifon; fometimes the purgative power of 
the latter requires to be moderated, but this is not often. 
Upon the whole, then, we fee that the treatment of the 
effeCts of ftiinulating vegetable poifons belongs to the 
general pathology of inflamed mucous membranes, and 
of a difordered nervous fyftem. Hence there are no inva¬ 
riable rules of procedure : every thing muft be governed 
by the judgment of the practitioner; the only practice 
that is requifite being to combat the particular fymptoms 
as they arife; and efpecially, by leeching and fomenting, 
to guard againfl gaflric or inteftinal inflammation. We 
may mention, that aftive purging is particularly indi¬ 
cated in cafes of poifoning by mufhrooms. 
Of the treatment of Poifons which diforder the Ner¬ 
vous Syflem .—The moft common mode in which the 
nervous fyftem is affected isbyftupor; hence the fub- 
llances in queftion have been called narcotic poifons. 
But, many of this clafs are capable of producing fevere 
inflammatory lymptoms, though not to fo great a 
degree as the firft clafs; nor fliould this faCt ever be 
forgotten in practice, feeing that fome practitioners have 
been fo intent on counteracting narcotics as to negleCt, 
or even by their remedies produce, inflammation. 
Thefe poifons, then, which to ftupor and infenfibility 
add inflammatory fymptoms, have received from Orfila 
the name of acrid narcotics; and the only objection to 
this arrangement is, that the fpecimens of one divifion 
run into thofe of the other. We include them therefore 
under one head. They are as follows: 
Narcotic Poisons. 
Acidura hydrocyanum, or 
Aciaea fpicata, or - 
■fEthufa cynapium, - 
Alcohol, 
Ariftolochia clematitis, 
Atropa belladonna, 
Cicuta virofa, 
Conium maculatum, 
Datura ftramonium, 
Digitalis purpurea, - 
Ervum ervilia, 
Pruffic acid, (as it is found 
in kernels in other parts 
of plants.) . 
Bane-berries. 
Fool’s parfley. 
Spirit of wine, brandy, and 
other inebriating liquors. 
Birth-wort. 
Deadly nightfhade. 
Water hemlock. 
Common hemlock. 
Thorn-apple. 
Fox-glove. 
Lentil. 
Hyofciamus niger, 
LaCtuca virofa, 
Laurus camphora, - 
Laurus cerafus, 
Lolium temulentum, 
Menifpermum coculus, 
Nicotiana tabacum, 
Papaver fomniferum, 
Paris quaclrifolia, 
Secale cornutum, ergot 
Solanum dulcamara, 
Strychnos nux vomica, 
Henbane. 
Strong-fcented lettuce. 
Camphor. 
Common laurel. 
Darnel. 
Coculus Indicus. 
Tobacco. 
Opium. 
Herb Paris. 
Horned of fpurred rye. 
Woody nightfhade. , ' 
Crow-fig. 
Of thefe, opium, henbane, lentil, woody nightfhade, 
and PrulTic acid, or thofe plants containing it, viz. the 
laurus cerafus, and the bitter kernels of all fruit, pro¬ 
duce almoft folely narcotic effeCts. The remaining ones 
induce inflammatory or irritative aCtions. The rapid 
ejeClion of thefe poifons from the ftomach, and the proper 
modes of guarding againfl: inflammatory fymptoms, have 
been already fufiiciently noticed; but to counteract narcotic 
effeCts, it is requifite to be in pofleffion of fome powerful 
ftimulus. Fortunately, the common vegetable acids, 
vinegar and lemon-juice, have an effeCt precifely oppofed 
to that of opium and the other narcotics. It may be 
feared, however, that the practice of adminiftering acids 
to thofe poifoned by opium has accelerated death. It 
has been fully afcertained, that opium is diffolved by the 
vegetable acids, and rendered therefore more aCtive, and 
more prone to be abforbed. Hence to give acids while the 
Jtomacli contains a narcotic poifon is decidedly injurious. 
After the poifon has been fully evacuated, however, 
the acids may be ufed fo effectually, that reftleflhefs may 
adually be brought on, and that to fo great a degree 
as to poftpone the inclination for fleep beyond the natural 
period. Lemon-juice fliould be given in proportion of 
a teafpoonful every five or ten minutes. Coffee made 
very ftrong, and taken in large quantities, is ufed by the 
bed practitioners. With regard to exercife, this alfo 
cannot be too ftrongly urged. When opium has been 
taken, it is neceflary to drag the patient for feveral hours 
from one room to another, and by talk and queftions 
force him to exert as much as he can his cerebral func¬ 
tions. Even irritating language or topics may, when 
neceflary, be excufed. 
Strong ftimuli, as oil of turpentine and ammonia, to¬ 
gether with blifters, (which are always faid to be uleful 
in this kind of poiloning,) are to be ufed when Prufiic 
acid has been taken in any form. Unfortunately, this 
dreadful poifon is fo rapid and violent in its effeCts, as 
feldom to leave time for the adoption of remedies ; but 
the difficulty of obtaining or of keeping it, prevents its 
being applied often to criminal purpofes. 
In this country it fometimes happens that fifh, fuch as 
eels, falmon, herrings, mufcles, lampreys, and loblters, 
give a lingular irritation to the fyftem, and during their 
digeflion in the ftomach occafion a confiderable efflo- 
reicence on the fkin, fometimes partial, and at other 
times over the whole body ; fometimes with confider¬ 
able febrile diforder, and at other times with very 
little. In warm climates urn, however, meet very fre¬ 
quently with fifti poffefled of the moft deleterious qua¬ 
lity. The barracuda (Perea major), king-fifh (Xi- 
phias), cavallee (Scomber), rock-fifti (Perea marina), 
linooth bottle-fifti (Oftracion glabellum), and yellow- 
bill fprat, are the- fifh moft to be dreaded. The latter 
poffefles a poifonous virus to an extent almoft in¬ 
credible, and has in feveral inftances been known to 
deftroy life in the fpace of half an hour, by exciting 
dreadful convulfions. The conger eel, as likewife the 
large white land-crabs that feed on the leaves of the 
manchineel-tree, are alfo frequently productive of violent 
cholera. The caufe of this deleterious quality proceeds 
from their particular food, which, although not hurtful 
to 
