The Harvester World: Volume 7, number 12, December 1916

              Welfare Work

PROTECTION     AGAINST    INJURY SANITATION HEALTH
INDUSTRIAL RECREATION
EDUCATION SPORTS

Common Poisons and What to Do for Them
By Dr. L. M. Irving Medical Examiner, Deering Works
A POISON may be defined as a substance which, when introduced into the system, or applied ex¬ ternally, injures health or destroys life.    Poisons may be classed as corrosives, irritants, and neurotics.
The action of poisons is local or remote, or both local and remote. The local actions of a corrosive poison are usually so well marked that they are easily recognized, but the symptoms of mineral irritant poisoning so closely resemble those of natural diseases as to render the diagnosis a matter of great difficulty.
The following are the most com¬ mon of the corrosive poisons: the mineral acids—sulphuric, nitric, hydrochloride, and oxalic; the alkalies—potash, soda, and ammonia acid; and the alkaline and corrosive salts, such as acid sulphate of pci-assium, carbonate of potassium, chloride of zinc, tin, antimony, and nitrate of silver.
The action of the corrosive poi¬ sons is purely local. The symptoms are marked and unmistakable. After the corrosive substance has been swallowed a burning sensation is felt in the mouth, gullet and stomach, and this sensation rapidly extends over the whole abdominal region. This sensation is followed by vomiting, which gradually increases in severity. The mouth and tongue exhibit local effects of the corrosive. There is marked thirst, a shortness of breath, rapidly bounding pulse, and pro¬ fuse cold perspiration. The intellect is usually clear until death.
In treating corrosive poisons the use of a stomach pump should be avoided, as there is always danger of perforating or puncturing the walls of the stomach. A soft stomach tube may be used with safety. Until the doctor comes the corrosive poison may be neutral¬ ized by giving lime water or, better still if it is at hand, saccharated lime water, or very weak solutions of caustic alkalines, or very frequent doses of chalk whit¬ ing. If it is the caustic alkalines which have caused the trouble, give large drinks of very weak acid solutions.
The following are some of the symptoms and reme¬ dies for specific poisons of the corrosive group : Car¬ bolic acid (creosote) causes pain in the stomach, whitening of the lii)s and mouth, stupor and heavy breath, and narrowing of the pupils of the eyes. For carbolic acid poisoning give epsom salts in warm water.    Later give oil of some kind, or milk, and strong
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coffee or tea. Apply hot blankets and hot water bottles to the feet and legs. Oxalic acid (so-called acid of sugar) causes burning pains in the stomach, intense vomiting, cold perspiration, and convulsions. Give chalk, lime water, gruel or linseed tea. Give strong coffee or other stimulants. With hydroc3'anic acid death is usually so rapid that nothing can be done. The most hopeful things to do are to use artificial respiration, and to make hot or cold applications to the face and chest. Poisoning by caustic alkalies and carbonates is rare, but in case of such poisoning give vine¬ gar and water and later milk and arrow root.
Irritant Poisons

Irritant poisons are of three class¬ es — metallic, vegetable, and animal irritants. Symptoms usually devel¬ op more slowly than with the cor¬ rosive poisons. Sometime after the irritant has been swallowed—length of the time depending upon the specific character of the poison— burning pain develops and constric¬ tion of the mouth and throat and gullet. This is followed speedily by sharp, burning pains in the upper part of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, thirst, rapid and feeble pulse, collapse, convulsions, and un¬ consciousness. These symptoms are sometimes con¬ fused with those of gastritis, severe colic, rupture of the stomach or intestines, or peritonitis.
The metallic irritant poisons which are most common are copper sulphate (blue vitriol or blue-stone), lead acetate (sugar of lead), corrosive sublimate (mercuric chlorid or biclorid of mercury), arsenic (Paris green), and phosphorus (matches and rat poisons).
The symptom of blue vitriol poisoning is pain in the upper part of the abdomen. Give white of eggs and milk. Sugar of lead poisoning may be known by con¬ striction in the throat and crampy pains in the stomach. Give an emetic; epsom salts in warm water. Corrosive sublimate poisoning produces an acid metallic taste and sets up a burning heat in the throat and stomach. Give white of egg. Later give strong coffee or tea and apply hot water bottles and hot blankets. Arsenic poisoning causes faintness, nausea, burning pains in the upper part of the abdomen, and headache in the fore part of the head. Give an emetic, soap and water; white of eggs and castor oil. Phosphorous gives a garlic smell to the breath and causes prostration.   Give