delirium,—an alteration, which in most varieties of narcotic poisoning is considered a sure sign of recovery. Collard de Martigny has related a case which eventually proved fatal, notwithstanding this sign of improvement.[1]
The narcotism induced by breathing charcoal fumes often lasts a considerable length of time,—much longer indeed than the effects of other narcotic poisons. This will appear sufficiently from the case described by Dr. Babington. One of the people, mentioned at the commencement of this chapter as having been suffocated at Gerolzhofen, lingered five days in a state of coma before he expired.
Commonly in cases of recovery, there is found to have been no consciousness of any thing going on around, or recollection of what passed subsequently to the first impressions of poisoning. The reverse, however, occurred in Mr. Coathupe's experiment; and a similar instance has been published, where the individual, though apparently insensible, knew when the room was first entered by strangers, and heard them call him by name and bid him put out his tongue, and stretch forth his arm,—without, however, his having the power to answer, or in any way to express the consciousness of understanding them.[2]
Poisoning with charcoal vapour has become a subject of great importance in French medical jurisprudence, partly on account of the frequency with which it is resorted to for the purpose of committing suicide, and partly because repeated attempts have been made to conceal murder by arranging matters so as to present the appearances of suicide. M. Devergie says, that in the years 1834 and 1835 no fewer than 360 cases of poisoning with charcoal-vapour occurred in Paris, of which nearly four-fifths proved fatal; and he has given the particulars of two attempts to conceal murder under the appearance of death from this cause.[3]
The subject has therefore been carefully examined by various authors, but by none so successfully as by M. Devergie; of whose important researches the following is a brief analysis.
In stating the various sources whence charcoal-vapour may become incidentally the cause of death, he dwells particularly on the risk of its admission from adjoining vents, even in other houses from that where the accidents happen,—because there may be currents in the apartment which occasion back-draught. Three remarkable cases of this kind, very obscure in their origin, have been related by M. d'Arcet.[4]
The very discrepant effects of the poison on different individuals, simultaneously and to appearance alike exposed to it, have usually been explained by reference to the great density of the gas, which consequently accumulates near the floor. Some, however, have doubted the fact that the gas is unequally diffused. Mr. Taylor in particular says he ascertained by analysis, that air collected above and below a choffer of burning charcoal was equally contaminated, that what
