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 Tartar-emetic 2
irritants 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 Med. Hydroc. acid 27
acid Do. and Laudanum 1
Ess. oil of Almonds 5
Bay-leaves 1
—34
9. Other veget. Nux-vomica 3
Narcotics Strychnia 2
Belladonna 2
Hemlock 1
Monkshood 2
Spirits 4
Fungi 4
—18
10. Narcot. gases. Coal-gas 2
11. Unascertained 22
Total 543
