Part Second — Of Individual Poisons
Chapter I Of the Classification of Poisons
After the preliminary observations on General Poisoning, I proceed next to treat of Poisons Individually. The subsequent remarks will be confined in a great measure to the most common poisons, which will be examined minutely. The rest being mere objects of curiosity, and hardly ever taken by man either intentionally or by accident, it will be sufficient to point out their leading properties.
It may be well to point out in the first instance the poisons in most general use. These will appear from the following Tables. The first is compiled from a Parliamentary Return of the cases of fatal poisoning brought before the coroners of England in two years ending with 1838.
| 1. | Arsenical | White arsenic | 185 | |
| Yellow arsenic | 1 | |||
| ——— | 186 | |||
| 2. | Acids | Sulphuric acid | 32 | |
| Nitric acid | 3 | |||
| Oxalic acid | 19 | |||
| ——— | 54 | |||
| 3. | Mercurials | Corrosive sublimate | 12 | |
| White mercury | 1 | |||
| Turbith-mineral | 1 | |||
| Mercury (?) | 1 | |||
| ——— | 15 | |||
| 4. | Other mineral irritants | Tartar-emetic | 2 | |
| Sulphate of iron | 1 | |||
| Chloride of tin | 1 | |||
| Subacetate of lead | 1 | |||
| Bichrom. of potash | 1 | |||
| Percussion powder | 1 | |||
| Carbonate of potash | 1 | |||
| Black-ash | 1 | |||
| ——— | 9 | |||
| 5. | Veget. irritants | Colchicum | 3 | |
| Hellebore | 1 | |||
| Savin | 1 | |||
| Cayenne | 1 | |||
| Castor seeds | 1 | |||
| Morison pills | 1 | |||
| ——— | 8 | |||
| 6. | Anim. irrits. | Cantharides | 2 | |
| 7. | Opium | Opium or Laudan. | 180 | |
| Opium & nitric acid | 1 | |||
| Poppy-syrup | 4 | |||
| Godfrey’s Cordial | 6 | |||
| Morphia | 1 | |||
| Acetate of morphia | 1 | |||
| ——— | 193 | |||
| 8. | Hydrocyanic acid | Med. Hydroc. acid | 27 | |
| Do. and Laudanum | 1 | |||
| Ess. oil of Almonds | 5 | |||
| Bay-leaves | 1 | |||
| ——— | 34 | |||
| 9. | Other veget. Narcotics | Nux-vomica | 3 | |
| Strychnia | 2 | |||
| Belladonna | 2 | |||
| Hemlock | 1 | |||
| Monkshood | 2 | |||
| Spirits | 4 | |||
| Fungi | 4 | |||
| ——— | 18 | |||
| 10. | Narcot. gases. | Coal-gas | 2 | |
| 11. | Unascertained | 22 | ||
| ——— | ||||
| Total | 543 |
In France, in seven years, from 1825 to 1831, inclusive, there were 216 trials for poisoning, at which 273 persons were charged with the crime, and only 102 condemned. In 94 cases occurring between November 1825 and October 1832, the substances employed were as follows.138
| Arsenic | 54 |
| Orpiment | 1 |
| Verdigris | 7 |
| Corrosive sublimate | 5 |
| Fly-powder | 3 |
| Tartar-emetic | 1 |
| Sulphate of zinc | 1 |
| Acetate of lead | 1 |
| Cerusse | 1 |
| Mercurial ointment | 1 |
| Cantharide | |
| Nux-vomica | 4 |
| Opium | 1 |
| Sulphuric acid | 1 |
| Nitric acid | 1 |
| Unascertained | 5 |
In the subsequent seven years there were 218 trials, and 153 prisoners condemned. Among 194 of these the following were the poisons used.139
| Metallic arsenic | 5 |
| Arsenious acid | 132 |
| Arsenite of copper | 1 |
| Compounds of copper | 13 |
| Corrosive sublimate | 10 |
| Artificial orpiment | 3 |
| Sulphate of zinc | 1 |
| Tartar-emetic | 1 |
| Cerusse | 1 |
| Sulphuric acid | 5 |
| Nitric acid | 2 |
| Muriatic acid | 1 |
| Hydrocyanic acid | 1 |
| Ammonia | 1 |
| Belladonna | 1 |
| Opium | 3 |
| Morphia | 1 |
| Nux-vomica | 1 |
| Cantharides | 10 |
In Denmark, in five years ending with 1835, there were 99 cases of poisoning of all sorts, 16 by arsenic, 74 by sulphuric or nitric acid, 4 by potash, 1 by an unascertained caustic substance, 2 by opium, 1 by litharge, and 1 by copper. Only 5 cases, namely, 3 by arsenic and 2 by sulphuric acid, were cases of murder, or attempt to murder.140
The classification of poisons has hitherto defied the ingenuity of toxicologists. Formerly it was thought sufficient to arrange them in three great classes, according as they are derived from the mineral, the vegetable, or the animal kingdom. It is evident, however, that the only sound basis of arrangement is their action on the animal economy; for such a classification is the only one which can be useful in practice. Now, when we consider what has been said on their mode of action, or the symptoms produced in consequence of that action, it must at once be perceived, that no system founded on either of these circumstances can be logically correct. It would be very desirable, if their mode of action could be adopted as the basis of arrangement; but both reasoning and experience have proved this to be impracticable. One very distinct class indeed might be formed of purely local poisons, comprehending the mineral acids, the fixed alkalies, and one or two of their chemical compounds. But a vast proportion of the other poisons which act locally have also a general or remote action; and on the other hand there are few of the latter description which do not likewise act locally. Hence if all which possess this double action were arranged in one class, that class would include nine-tenths at least of known poisons; so that, in truth, the labour of classification would still remain to be overcome.
It would be even more fruitless to attempt an arrangement of poisons according to their medium of action; for no sure criterion is known, by which a poison acting through direct transmission of an impulse along the nerves can be distinguished from one that acts by entering the blood.
Neither is the embarrassment of the toxicologist materially less, if he attempts to classify poisons according to the symptoms they induce in man. This is the principle now generally followed, and which in common with others I shall pursue. But the reader will be at no loss to discover that the partitions which separate the classes are exceedingly slight, and that very many poisons might be arranged without impropriety in either of two classes.
The preceding statements show the impossibility of founding a good system of arrangement on the only basis which can be acknowledged philosophical and practical; and consequently, that, as the science of toxicology now stands, we must altogether despair of forming one that shall be even moderately satisfactory.
On the whole I see no reason for deviating from the classification adopted in the first edition of the present work, being a modification of that previously followed by Professor Orfila. In this classification poisons are divided into irritants, narcotics, and narcotic-acrids.
The class of irritants includes all poisons whose sole or predominating symptoms are those of irritation or inflammation; the narcotics those which produce stupor, delirium, spasms, paralysis, and other affections of the brain and nervous system; and the narcotico-acrids those which cause sometimes irritation, sometimes narcotism, sometimes both together. Some writers still adopt a fourth class, called septics, because they give rise to putrefaction in the living body. But modern physiology will scarcely sanction the continuance of such a class of poisons. For assuredly no substance can cause putrefaction in the living body.