Poisons : their effects and detection

Front matter

CORN LL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

3 1924 054 705 987

Cornell University Library

Preface To The Fourth Editiok

By expansion in some directions, condensation in others, the present edition contains more information, without material enlargement of the bulk of the volume, than the edition which immediately preceded it.

A large portion has been rewritten, effete processes and unreliable reactions have been omitted. Newly discovered poisons and injurious substances which of recent years have come into popular use, such as sulphonal and trional, have been added. Space has been found for a condensed account of recent ideas as to the constitution of the vegetable poisons ; and we have felt that no work on toxicology would be complete without some mention of the most powerful of all modern poisons, i.e. epinephrin.

Special attention has naturally been given to arsenic, and to the delicate and reliable methods which are now available for its separatioji, identification, and estimation.

The authors hope that their labours have been so far successful that the new edition will retain its place as a recognised standard work on toxicology.

OOK"TEI^TS.

Part I.— Introductory

I. THE OLD POISON-LORE.

Section Page

1. Earliest Period — Myths as to Poison 1

2. Egyptian Knowledge of Poison, 2

3. The Use of Poison by the Greeks and Romans — Nioander, Apollo-

dorus, Diosoorides, ... 2-4

4. Asiatic Knowledge of Poisons, 4, 5

5. Hebrew Knowledge of Poisons, 5, 6

6. The part Poison has played in History — The Death of Britannicus —

A Commission of Murder — Royal Poisoners, .... 6-8

7. The Criminal Schools of Italy and Venice — Toifana — St. Croix — The

Marchioness de Brinvilliers, 9-13

II. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN METHODS OF CHEMICALLY DETECTING POISONS.

8. The growth of PatholoCT, 13,14

9. The Treatise of Barthdlemy d' Anglais — Porta's Work — Robert Boyle

— Richard Mead — Scheele and the Chemists of the Eighteenth

Century 14, 15

10. Proust's Discovery of Arseniuretted Hydrogen — Marsh's Test, . 15

11. Matthieu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila . ... 15, 16

12. The Discovery of the Alkaloids 16

13. Bibliography of the Chief Works on Toxicology (Nineteenth

Century) 16-19

Part II

I. DEFINITION OF POISON.

14. Legal Definitions of Poison 20, 21

15. The German and French Laws as to Poison, 21, 22

16. Scientific Definition of a Poison, 22, 23

II. CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS.

17. General Classification of Poisons according to Symptoms, . . 23, 24

18. Kobert's Classification 24, 25

19. Classification followed in this Work, 25-29

vii

Vm CONTENTS.

III. STATISTICS.

Section Page

20. Influences causing Local Variation in the Proportion of Death from

Poison 29

21. English Statistics for the Ten Years ending 1903, .... 29-31

22. Relative Fatality of certain Poisons, 32

IV. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TOXIC ACTION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.

28. Advance in Knowledge of the Relationship between Chemical and Physiological Properties — The Influence of Hydroxyl — Bamberger's Observations .... 32-34

24. Physiological Effect of Replacing Hydrogen by Alkyls in Aromatic

Bodies — Overton's Researches — H. Meyer's Views on the Influence of the Solubility of Narcotic Substances in the Fat of Living Protoplasm 34-39

25. The Influence of CO Groups, 39

26. Oscar Loew's Generalisations 39-42

27. Michet's Experiments on the Comparative Toxicity of Poisonous

Metals on Fish, 42 v. LIFE TESTS : THE ACTION OF POISONS ON THE LOWEK FOKMS OF LIFE.

28. (1) Action of Poisons on the Red Blood Corpuscles ; (2) on Infusoria ;

(3) on Cephalopoda ; (4) on Insects, 42-45

29. The Effect of Poisons on the Heart of Cold-blooded Animals —

Willliams' Apparatus — Jaoobi's Apparatus, .... 45-48

30. The Effect of Poisons on the Iris — Toxic Myosis — Toxic Mydriasis, . 48

TI. GENEKAL METHOD OF PROCEDUKE IN SEAKOHING FOB POISON.

31. Preliminary Examination — Distillation of Volatile Matters in a

Vacuum — Drying the Sample — Treatment by Volatile Solvents, . 48-51

32. Methods of Destroying Organic Matter when Searching for Arsenic —

Destruction by Heat — the Methods of G. Bertrand, Verryken, Woehler and Siebold — Basic Method — J. Ogier's Method — A. Villiers' Method — Process of Armand Gautier — Pagel's Process — Subsequent Treatment of Resulting Liquid by SHg and then by Ammonium Sulphide, 51-56

VII. THE SPECTROSCOPE AS AN AID TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN POISONS.

33. Use of the Micro-Spectroscope — Oscar Brasch's Observations on the

Absorption Bands produced in certain Tests 56-59

Eoeamination of Blood or of Blood- Stains.

34. General Procedure — Dragendorff's Method — Solution of Blood by

Riegler's Reagent, 59^60

35. Spectroscopic Appearances of Blood — Sulphsemoglobin — Carbon-

monoxide Haemoglobin — Characteristics of Carbon-monoxide

Blood — Preparation of Hseraatin Crystals — Guaiacum Test, . . 60-65

36. Measurement of the Blood Corpuscles — Ratio of Potash to Soda in

Blood of various Animals — Biological Test for Human Blood, . 65-67

CONTENTS. IX

Part III. -poisonous Gases: Gakbon Monoxide— Chlorine— Hydrio Sulphide

I. CARBON MONOXIDE.

37. Properties of Carbon Monoxide . 68, 69

38. Symptoms — Acute Poisoning — Chronio Poisoning 69, 70

39. Action of the Gas on the Blood and Nervous System, ... 70, 71

41. Mass Poisonings by Carbon Monoxide — The Leeds Cases — The Dar-

laston Cases, 72-74

42. Penetration of Carbon Monoxide 74,75

43. . Detection of Carbon Monoxide — The Cuprous Chloride Reaction —

Hempel's Biological Test— The Iodine Pentoxide Method, . . 75, 76

II. CHLOKINB.

44. Preparation of Chlorine— Accidents in the Manufacture of Chlorine, 76, 77

45. Effects and Post-mortem Appearances, 77

46. Detection of Free Chlorine, 77,78

III. HTDKIC SULPHIDE.

47. General Properties, 78

48. Effects— the Hebburn-on-Tyne Gases— The Cleator Moor Cases, . 78, 79

49. Post-mortem Appearances— Chronic Poisoning 79, 80

50. Detection 80

Part Iv.— Acids And Alkalies

SuLPHUKic AoiD — Hydboohloric Acid — Nitric Aoid — Acetic Acid— Ammonia — Potash — Soda— Neutral Sodium, Potassium, and Ammonium Salts.

I. sulphuric acid.

51. Commercial Forms of Sulphuric Acid— General Properties, . . 81, 82

52. Sulphur Trioxide or Sulphuric Anhydride, . . .82

53. Occurrence of Free Sulphuric Acid in Nature, ... . 82

55. Accidental, Suicidal, and Criminal Poisoning, .... 83, 84

57. Local Action of Sulphuric Acid, 85, 86

58. Action of Sulphuric Aoid on Vegetation, on Wood, on Paper, on

Carpets, on Clothing, and on Iron— Caution in judging of Spots, 86, 87

59. Symptoms— External Effects— Internal Effects, .... 87^89

60. Treatment of Acute Poisoning by the Minei-al Acids, ... 89

61. Post-mortem Appearances— Oscar Wyss' Case— Fraenkel and Reiche's

Observations on the Effects of the Aoid on the Kidney, . . 90, 91

62. Pathological Preparations illustrative of Fatal Sulphuric Acid

Poisoning in the various London Museums, . . . . 91, 92

63. Chronic Poisoning by Sulphuric Aoid, 92

Ddection and Estirmtim of Free Sulphuric Acid.

64. Quinine Method— Solution of Free Acid by Alcohol— Hilger's Test, . 93, 94 65 Sulphates in the Urine — Changes in the Urine produced by

Sulphuric Acid, '94-96

66. Effects of the Aoid on the Blood, 96

67. Amount of Ordinary Sulphates in. Food, 96,97