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§ l8.] CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS. 
C. Irritant and Narcotic Poisons (symptoms those of an irritant 
nature, with the addition of more or less pronounced cerebral 
indications). 
To this class more especially belong oxalic acid and the oxalates, 
with several poisons belonging to the purely narcotic class, but which 
produce occasionally irritant effects. 
D. Poisons more especially affecting the Nervous System. 
1. Narcotics (chief symptom insensibility, which may be preceded 
by more or less cerebral excitement) : Opium, chloral, chloroform. 
2. Deliriants (delirium for the most part a prominent symptom) : 
Belladonna, hyoscyamus, stramonium, with others of the Solanaceoe, 
to which may be added— poisonous fungi, Indian hemp, Lolium temulen- 
tum, (Enanthe crocata, and camphor. 
3. Convulsives.—A lmost every poison has been known to produce 
convulsive effects, but the only true convulsive poisons are the alkaloids 
of the strychnos class. 
4. Complex Nervous Phenomena : Aconite, digitalis, hemlock, 
Calabar bean, tobacco, Lobelia inflata, and curara. 
§ 18. Robert’s Classification. — Robert has classified poisons 
according to the following scheme :— 
I. POISONS WHICH CAUSE COARSE ANATOMICAL CHANGES OF THE 
ORGANS. 
A. Those which specially irritate the part to which they are applied. 
1. Acids. 
2. Caustic alkalies. 
3. Caustic salts, especially those of the heavy metals. 
4. Locally irritating organic substances which neither can be classified as 
corrosive acids nor alkalies, nor as corrosive salts ; such are :— cantharidine, 
phrynine, and others in the animal kingdom, croton oil and savin in the 
vegetable kingdom. Locally irritating colours, such as the aniline dyes. 
5. Gases and vapours which cause local irritation when breathed; such as 
ammonia, chlorine, iodine, bromine, and sulphur dioxide. 
B. Those which have but 4ittle effect locally, but change anatomically other 
parts of the body ; such as lead, phosphorus, and others. 
II. BLOOD POISONS. 
1. Blood poisons interfering with the circulation in a purely physical manner; 
such as peroxide of hydrogen, ricine, abrine. 
2. Poisons which have the property of dissolving the red blood corpuscles; 
such as the saponins. 
3. Poisons which, with or without primary solution of the red blood corpuscles, 
produce in the blood methsemoglobin ; such as potassic chlorate, hydrazine, 
nitrobenzene, aniline, picric acid, carbon disulphide. 
4. Poisons having a peculiar action on the colouring matter of the blood, or on 
its decomposition products; such as hydric sulphide, hydric cyanide, and 
the cyanides and carbon monoxide. 
