Chapter XVI: Of Poisoning with Antimony

The fourth genus of the metallic irritants includes the preparations of antimony. Poisoning with antimonial preparations is not common. They are employed extensively in medicine, however, and consequently accidents have sometimes occurred with them. One of them is also often foolishly used, in the way of amusement, to cause sickness and purging, and likewise to detect servants who are suspected of making free with their mistress’s tea-box or whisky-bottle; and in both of these ways alarming effects have sometimes been produced. In 1837 a woman was tried in England for attempting to poison a child with tartar-emetic; but the poison appeared to have been given through ignorance.[1129] In large doses some of the antimonial compounds may cause death; and one of them, the chloride of antimony, now very little used in this country, is a violent corrosive.