Chapter 72
Section 72 of 1000 Things Worth Knowing. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Amelia Chesley.
1000 Things Worth Knowing by Nathaniel C. Fowler Jr. Poison. Poisons taken into the system through the mouth and not through the blood require a different treatment. Poisons may be classified as follows. 1. Irritant, in which the symptoms appear entirely at the location of the poison.
2. Systemic, in which the poison affects the system at large in addition to producing local irritation. 3. Narcotic or sleep producing. 4. General, in which there is no local irritation. In the first mentioned, it is best not to cause vomiting. Give dilute acids to neutralize alkalize and dilute alkalize to neutralize acids.
Then administer oil, raw egg or flour and water. Small doses of opiates may be given to quiet the pain and whiskey or other spiritus liquor to relieve weakness. In the second class, except for arsenic or similar poisoning, no emidics should be given. The poison may be counteracted by bland doses of oil, flour and water, white of eggs and stimulating drinks should be given to counteract depression. In the third class, make strenuous effort to produce vomiting, then give strong coffee or other stimulating drinks and make every effort to keep the patient awake, even if you have to keep him walking.
Fourth class, give emidics and follow with stimulating drinks to relieve weakness and pain. The patient should be allowed to rest. Poisoning. Poisoning by acids. For sulfuric, muriatic, nitric and acetic acids, give immediately a solution of baking soda or magnesium, chalk, lime, soap suds or chalk tooth powder, followed by raw eggs, milk or sweet oil. For carboic acid or creosote, give alcohol and immediately castor oil, sweet oil, raw eggs or milk, followed by an emidic.
For oxalic acid, administer lime, chalk or magnesium. Lime may be scraped from the wall or ceiling and dissolved in water, but don't use soda, potash or ammonia. For prussic acid. Generally, the patient dies immediately, but if he is still living, do not stop to give emidics, but administer stimulants. Apply hot and cold douches and use artificial respiration. For aconite poisoning. Wash the stomach with a stomach tube and avoid emidics. Use stimulants.
Apply warmth to the extremities and place mustard plasters over the heart and legs. If the patient is insensible, use artificial respiration. For camphor. Give emidics, oils and eggs. Apply warmth to the extremities. For chloroform. If caused by inhalation, resort to artificial respiration and apply friction.
Place the patient in the fresh air, keeping the head very low. Alternate hot and cold applications. If it occurs from internal use, administer large doses of bicarbonate of soda in water. Administer artificial respiration if the patient is insensible. For nooks vomica.
Tobacco, chewing or smoking and animal charcoal dissolved in water. Follow with emidics. Use artificial respiration when necessary. For opium. Administer an emidic such as mustard or epikac. Apply water to the head, face and spine.
Give strong coffee, but do not give alcoholic stimulants. Keep the patient aroused by walking, whipping or other means. Use artificial respiration if necessary. For arsenic. Give emidics immediately, including drafts of hot, greasy water or salt and water.
Administer in large doses, magnesium or lime scraped from the walls or ceilings. Give castor oil, sweet oil or equal parts of sweet oil and lime water or raw eggs. Use stimulants well diluted. For corrosive sublimit. Administer an emidic and large doses of white of eggs, milk, mucilage, barley water or flour and water.
Force the patient to swallow large quantities. Use the stomach pump. For poisonous mushrooms. Give emidics castor oil stimulants and apply heat. End of section 72.
