- pecially one of the irritants, the commencement of the symptoms may
be considerably retarded, provided it be not one of the powerful corrosives. This statement is not so fully supported by facts as to admit of its being laid down with confidence as a general rule. But from various incidents which have come under my notice it appears not improbable, that sleep does possess the power of putting off for a while the action of some poisons. In particular some instances have occurred to me where arsenic taken at night did not begin to act for several hours, the individual having in the meantime been asleep.[1] The occurrence of so long an interval between its administration and the first appearance of the symptoms is so contrary to what generally happens, that some cause or another must be in activity; and the insensibility of the system during sleep to most sources of excitement seems to supply a sufficient explanation. The slow operation of laxatives during sleep compared with their effects during one's waking hours, is an analogical fact.
A third consideration to be attended to is, that poison may be secretly administered during sleep to a person who lies habitually with his mouth open. This is fully proved by an interesting case which will be noticed under the head of the moral evidence of poisoning. In that particular case the individual immediately awoke, because the poison was concentrated sulphuric acid; but it may admit of question whether a sound sleeper might not swallow less irritating poisons without being awakened. In such circumstances no connexion of course could be traced between the taking of a suspected article and the first appearance of the symptoms.
5. Lastly, the symptoms appear during a state of perfect health. This is an important character, yet not universal; for it cannot be expected to apply to cases of slow poisoning, and poisons may be given while the person is actually labouring under natural disease. Cases of the last description are generally very embarrassing; for if, instead of medicine, a poison be administered, whose symptoms resemble the natural disease, suspicion may not arise till it is too late to collect evidence.
It must be apparent from the preceding observations, that the characters common to the symptoms of general poisoning are by no means universally applicable. Yet on reviewing them attentively it will also appear, that, considering the little knowledge possessed by the vulgar of the action of poisons, and consequently the rude nature of their attempts to commit murder by poisoning, the exceptions to the general statements made above will not be numerous.
It now remains to be seen how far these characters distinguish the symptoms of poisoning from those of natural disease; and
1. As to the suddenness of their invasion and rapidity of their progress, it is almost needless to observe, that many natural diseases commences with a suddenness and prove fatal with a rapidity, which few or no poisons can surpass. The plague may prove instantaneously fatal; and even the continued fever of this country may be fully
- ↑ See subsequently the Chapter on Arsenic, Section ii.
