>


POISONS



An antidote is something given that counteracts poison, such as soda,

chalk, magnesia, soap, whiting, milk mixed with magnesia, soda diluted,

etc., followed by whites of eggs and bland drinks such as flaxseed tea,

slippery elm tea, quince seed tea, and sweet or castor oil given after

regular antidote.



For Shock, inject hot black coffee into the rectum.



Emetic is some medicine given to produce vomiting. The simplest emetic is

mustard and warm water. If one does not know what poison has been taken,

the best thing to do is to give an emetic first.






Mustard. One-half ounce or four teaspoonfuls for an adult, one to two

teaspoonfuls for a child, of mustard to a cup of warm water may be given

and repeated every ten or fifteen minutes until free vomiting is produced.





Salt and warm water may be used in the same way. Tickling the throat with

a finger or a feather produces vomiting.



Goose grease, lard, lard drippings, vaselin, all in large amounts.



Other medicines: Sulphate of zinc, ten to twenty grains at a dose, in a

cup of warm water; or fluid extract of ipecac fifteen to thirty drops, or

syrup of ipecac one teaspoonful.



Poisons may be divided into corrosive and irritant.



Corrosive poison: This is a poison that is likely to eat or burn through

organic tissue immediately.



Irritant poison acts more slowly and produces inflammation which later may

result in suppuration and perforation.



An emetic or stomach pump cannot be used in some poisons, such as suphuric

acid, because the tissues are quickly injured by the acid and the emetic

and pump would only injure farther.