216 poisons : THEIR effects and detection. [§§ 269 , 270 . 
partook of the beans about 12 noon of the same day ; all became ill 
three hours afterwards ; three of the children died, the rest recovered. 
The beans had been softened by soaking in warm water and salt, and had 
then been boiled ; the three children who died had no diarrhoea, those 
who recovered had diarrhoea. 
The unboiled beans yielded about 0-21 per cent. HCN ; from the 
boiled beans only traces of HCN could be obtained save by incubating 
for twenty-four hours in neutral solution with emulsin, then 0'09 per 
cent, of HCN was obtained ; from the intestines of the three children 
3-9, 4-9, and 6-7 mgrms. of HCN were separated. 
§ 269. Chronic poisoning by hydric cyanide is said to occur 
among photographers, gilders, and those who are engaged daily in the 
preparation or handling of either hydric or potassic cyanides. The 
symptoms are those of feeble poisoning, headache, giddiness, noises in 
the ears, difficult respiration, pain over the heart, a feeling of con¬ 
striction in the throat, loss of appetite, nausea, obstinate constipation, 
full pulse, with pallor and offensive breath. Koritschoner 1 has made 
some observations on patients who were made to breathe at intervals, 
during many weeks, prussic acid vapour, with the idea that such a 
treatment would destroy the tubercle bacilli. Twenty-five per cent, of 
those treated in this way suffered from redness of the pharynx, saliva¬ 
tion, headache, nausea, vomiting, slow pulse, and even albuminuria. 
§ 270. Post-mortem Appearances. 2 — If we for the moment leave 
out of consideration any changes which may be seen in the stomach 
after doses of potassic cyanide, then it may be affirmed that the 
pathological changes produced by hydric and potassic cyanides mainly 
coincide with those produced by suffocation. The most striking 
appearance is the presence of bright red spots; these bright red 
spots or patches are confined to the surface of the body, the blood 
in the deeper parts being of the ordinary venous hue, unless, indeed, 
an enormous dose has been taken ; in that case the whole mass of 
blood may be bright red. This bright colour is due, according to 
Robert, to the formation of cyanmethsemoglobin. The lungs and 
right heart are full of blood, and there is a backward engorgement 
produced by the pulmonic block. The veins of the neck and the 
vessels of the head generally are full of blood, and, in like manner, 
the liver and kidneys are congested. In the mucous membrane of 
the bronchial tubes there is a bloody foam, the lungs are gorged, and 
often oedematous in portions ; ecchymoses are seen in the pleura and 
other serous membranes ; and everywhere, unless concealed by putre- 
1 Wiener lclin. Woch., 1891. 
2 Hydric cyanide has, according to C. Brame, a remarkable antiseptic action, 
and, if administered in sufficient quantity to animals, preserves them after death for 
a month. He considers that there is some more or less definite combination with 
the tissues. 
