Chapter X: Part II: contains a list of poisons supposed to be less active. These (3)

Every medical man, before presenting himself to give evidence in a case of suspected poisoning, should make himself thoroughly acquainted with recent researches on the subject. Ptomaines are, for the most part, alkaloids generated during the process of putrefaction, and they closely resemble many of the vegetable alkaloids--veratrine, morphine, and codeine, for example--not only in chemical characters, but in physiological properties. They are probably allied to neurine, an alkaloid obtained from the brain and also from the bile. Some of them are analogous in action to muscarine, the active principle of the fly fungus. Some are proteids, albumins, and globulins. Ptomaines may be produced abundantly in animal substances which, after exposure under insanitary conditions, have been excluded from the air. Ptomaines or toxalbumins are sometimes found in potted meats and sausages, and are due to organisms--the _Bacillus botulinus_, the _B. enteritidis_ of Gärtner, the _B. proteus vulgaris_, or the _B. ærtrycke_ (which is perhaps the most common of all). The symptoms produced by the latter are usually vomiting, abdominal pain, pains in the limbs and cramps, diarrhoea, vertigo, coldness, faintness, and collapse. The symptoms of _botulism_ are dryness of skin and mucous membranes, dilatation of pupils, paralysis of muscles, diplopia, etc. Articles of food most often associated with poisoning are pork, ham, bacon, veal, baked meat-pie, milk, cheese, mussels, tinned meats.

In a case of suspected poisoning, counsel for the defence, if he knows his work, will probably cross-examine the medical expert on this subject, and endeavour to elicit an admission that the reactions which have been attributed to a poison may possibly be accounted for on the theory of the formation of a ptomaine. There is practically no counter-move to this form of attack.

INDEX

Abdomen, injuries of, 29

Abortifacients, 147

Abortion, criminal, 42

Acetanilide, 136

Acetate of lead, 116

Aconite, 143

Adipocere, 18

Adultery, 62

Age, determination of, 12

Alcohol, 130

Alcoholic insanity, 76

Alkaloids, 93

Alum, 103

Ammonia, 102

Anæsthetics, death from, 19

Aniline, 136

Antifebrin, 136

Antimony, 112

Antipyrine, 135

Aqua fortis, 97

Arsenic, 107

Arsenious acid, 107

Artificial oil of bitter almonds, 137

Arum, 124

Asphyxia, 13

Assaults, 21

Assizes, 7

Atropine, 127

Barberio's test, 58

Barium salts, 104

Belladonna, 127

Bestiality, 59

Bichromate of potassium, 119

Bismuth, 119

Blackmailing, 60

Bladder, injuries of, 30

Blood-stains, 30

Born in wedlock, 52

Botulism, 151

Brain, injuries to, 26

Breslau's life test, 49

Brucine, 146

Bruises, 22

Bullet wounds, 24

Burnett's fluid, 119

Burns, 22

Cadaveric alkaloids, 150
rigidity, 17

Calabar bean, 139

Camphor, 129

Cantharides, 146

Carbolic acid, 100

Carbonic acid gas, 120
oxide, 121

Carnal knowledge, 55

Cellon, 129

Chemical analysis, 91

Chest injuries, 28

Chloral, 134

Chlorate of potassium, 103

Chloride of zinc, 119

Chlorine, 122

Chloroform, 19, 132

Choke-damp, 121

Chromium, 119

Chronic lead-poisoning, 117

Clothing, fibres of, 34

Coal-gas, 121

Cocaine, 128

Cocculus indicus, 129

Cold, death from, 39

Coma, 14

Common witness, 2

Concealment of birth, 45
of pregnancy, 45

Conium, 138

Contused wounds, 24

Cooling, rate of, 16

Copper, 117

Coroners, 4

Coroner's court, 4

Corrosive sublimate, 113

Corrosives, 86

Cretinism, 69

Crimes, 1

Criminal abortion, 42

Criminal Appeal Court, 8
courts, 7

Cross-examination, 3

Crown Court of Assize, 7

Culpable homicide, 21

Cut throat, 28

Dangerous Drugs Bill, 82

Death in the foetus, 50
signs of, 16

Delivery, 41

Dementia, 70

Depositions, 6

Determination of sex, 11

Diachylon pills, 117

Diaphragm, wounds of, 29

Digitalis, 144

Dinitrobenzene, 137

Divorce, 60

"Dope," 129

Drowning, 36

Duration of pregnancy, 50

Dyeing of hair, 11

Dying declarations, 10

Ecchymosis, 22

Electricity, 38

Epilepsy, 65, 75

Ergot, 148

Ether, 132

Evidence, giving of, 2

Examination-in-chief, 3

Experiments on animals, 85

Experts, 2

Eye injuries, 27

Face injuries, 27

Feeble-minded, 69

Fees for medical witness, 5, 7

Feigned diseases, 63

Felony, 1

Ferro-silicon, 111

Finger prints, 11

Florence's test, 58

Foeticide, 42

Foods, poisonous, 150

Found dead, 5

Fruit stains, 33

Fungi, 148

Gaseous poisons, 120

General paralysis, 71

Genital organs, wounds of, 30

Grand jury, 8

Gunshot wounds, 24

Hæmin crystals, 32

Hair, detection of, 33
dyeing of, 11

Hanging, 35

Head injuries, 26

Heart, injuries of, 29

Heat, death from, 39

Hemlock, 138

Henbane, 128

Homicide, 21

Hydrochloric acid, 98
gas, 122

Hydrocyanic acid, 140

Hyoscyamus, 128

Hypostasis, 16

Identification of dead, 12

Identity, personal, 10

Idiocy, 68

Imbecility, 69

Impotence, 54

Incest, 59

Incised wounds, 23

Indecent assault, 57

Indictable offences, 2

Inebriates Act, 78

Infanticide, 44

Inheritance, 54

Injuries, 21

Insanity, 67-76

Intestines, wounds of, 30

Iodide of potassium, 104

Iodine, 104

Irritants, 87
gases, 122
vegetable, 123

Judicial separation, 62

Jury, coroner's, 4

Kidney, injuries of, 30

Kleptomania, 73

Laborde's method, 37

Laburnum, 123

Lacerated wounds, 24

Lead, 116

Lee-Metford bullet, 24

Legitimacy, 52

Lightning, 38

Live-birth, 44-46

Liver, injuries of, 29

Lobelia, 140

Lucid intervals, 73

Lumbago, 66

Lunacy, 67
certification, 77

Lungs, injuries of, 29
evidences of live-birth from, 47

Magistrate's court, 7

Malingering, 63

Malpractice, 20

Malum regimen, 21

Mania, 71

Manslaughter, 21

Marriage, 60

Marsh's process, 110

Martini-Henry bullet, 25

Maturity of infant, 45

Mauser bullet, 25

Medical evidence, 2

Mentally deficients, 70

Mercury salts, 113

Methyl alcohol, 131

Mineral acids, 94

Misdemeanour, 1

Monkshood, 143

Monomania, 72

Morphine, 127

Murder, 21

Muriatic acid, 98

Naphtha, 135

Nitrate of silver, 119

Nitric acid, 95

Nitro-benzol, 137

Notes, 9

Nux vomica, 145

Oaths Act, 9

Oil of bitter almonds, 141

Opium, 124

Oxalate of potash, 99

Oxalic acid, 98

Paraffin oil, 135

Paranoia, 73

Personal identity, 10

Petroleum, 134

Petty Sessions, 7

Phenacetin, 136

Phenol, 100

Phosphorus, 105

Phossy-jaw, 106

Physostigma, 139

Picrotoxin, 129

Poison, definition of, 80

Poisonous foods, 149

Poisons acting on the brain, 88
classification of, 84
detection of, 91
evidence, 85
scheduled, 81
symptoms and post-mortem appearances, 86
treatment of, 90

Potash, 101

Precipitin test for blood, 33

Pregnancy, 40, 50
insanity of, 73

Presumption of death, 20
survivorship, 21

Primula, 124

Privilege, 8

Procurator Fiscal, 7

Prussic acid, 140

Ptomaines, 150

Puerperal mania, 73

Punctured wounds, 23

Purgatives, 123

Putrefaction, 18

Quarter Sessions, 7

Railway spine, 27

Rape, 55

Reception orders, 77

Rectified spirit, 130

Re-examination, 3

Reinsch's process, 110

Reports, medical, 9

Responsibility, 76

Resuscitation, 36

Rhus, 124

Rigor mortis, 17

Rust stains, 33

Sale of arsenic, 111

Saponification, 18

Satyriasis, 73

Savin, 147

Scars, 11

Schiller's method of resuscitation, 36

Scheduled poisons, 81

Scotch oath, 9

Secrets, professional, 8

Self-inflicted wounds, 24

Seminal stains, 58

Sewer-gas, 122

Sex, determination of, 11

Signs of death, 16

Silver, 118

Skin diseases, 66

Soda, 101

Sodomy, 59

Spanish-fly, 146

Spectroscopic examination of blood, 32

Spinal cord injuries, 27

Spleen, injuries of, 29

Staining, post-mortem, 16

Starvation, 38

Stas-Otto process, 92

Status lymphaticus, 15

Sterility, 54

Stomach, injuries of, 29

Stramonium, 128

Strangulation, 35

Strychnine, 145

Sudden death, 13, 15

Suffocation, 34

Sugar of lead, 116

Sulphonal, 137

Sulphuretted hydrogen, 122

Sulphuric acid, 95

Sulphurous acid gas, 122

Summary offences, 2

Sunstroke, 39

Superfoetation, 53

Syncope, 13

Tartar emetic, 112

Tattoo marks, 10

Teichman's crystals, 32

Tetanus, 145

Tetrachlorethane, 129

Tetronal, 137

Throat injuries, 28

Tobacco, 139

Treason, 1

Trinitrotoluene, 129

Trional, 137

True bill, 8

Undue influence, 74

Unnatural offences, 59

Unsound mind, 67

Veronal, 137

Viability, 51

Vitriol, 95

Voidable marriage, 63

Witnesses, 2

Wounds, 21

Yew, 124

Zinc, 118

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