Thursday, October 2, 2014

Poisons

Below is an illustration Plate from Home Doctoring with some information about the poisonous plants. Not all of the illustrations were mentioned in the text. I left them blank for you to fill in with your own research.


1) Hellebores, the.—The Green Hellebore (Helleborus viridis).
The White Hellebore (Veratrum album).
The Black Hellebore, or Christmas rose (Helleborus niger).
The Foetid Hellebore (Helleborus fcetidd).
All of these are powerful poisons, the white hellebore especially so.
Symptoms. — Vomiting, purging, giddiness, dilatation of the pupils, convulsions, insensibility, great heat of the throat, and tightness, with severe pain in the stomach.
Treatment.—Vomiting should be excited by large doses nf solution of gum and other mucilaginous fluids (such as milk, white of egg, etc.), and injections of the same materials should be thrown up into the bowel.
Coffee should then be given freely, and acidulous fluids and camphorwater.
The roots and leaves of this plant are both poisonous, the roots especially.

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3)Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale). Symptoms. — A burning pain in the gullet and stomach, violent vomiting, and sometimes bilious purging.
Treatment. — Give some mild emetic, thus :—
Ipecacuanha wine, 5 ounce.
Honey, 1 tablespoonful.
Milk, a teacupful. Stir up and mix thoroughly, and let the patient take it at a draught. This should be repeated every quarter of an hour till vomiting sets in. Of course the dose of ipecacuanha wine should be smaller for children, one-half or one-fourth of the above quantity being ample for a child under five years old.
Then give opium as follows (to adults only)
Powdered opium, 3 grains.
Confection of dog rose, sufficient to make a small mass with the opium. Divide this into six pills, and let the patient have one every four hours, until the symptoms of poisoning abate.
Or,
Tincture of opium, 1 fluid drachm.

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2)Henbane (Hyoscyamus). (See Plate.) Symptoms.—Vomiting, double vision, dilatation of the pupils, sleepiness, loss of muscular power, a peculiarly tremulous motion of the limbs, flushing of the countenance, heat and weight of head, giddiness, fulness of the pulse, and general excitement.
If the dose has been a large one, the symptoms will be aggravated, there will be loss of speech, delirium, coma, coldness of the surface, and jerkings of the muscles.
Treatment.—As soon as possible, empty the stomach by emetics, and give acidulous drinks; if, however, the poison has entered the system, purgatives must be given.
The seeds are the most poisonous, the leaves next, and the roots last.

3)Yew (Taxus baccatd). (See Plate.) Symptoms.—Professor Taylor gives the symptoms of poisoning by this plant as follows: —" Convulsions, insensibility, coma, dilated pupils, pale countenance, small pulse, and cold extremities are the most prominent; vomiting and purging are also observed among the symptoms."
Treatment.—As in many other vegetable, indeed it might safely be said in all poisons, vomiting should be excited, and this is best done, and perhaps in the quickest, safest manner by an emetic of mustard, salt, and water. Should the convulsions be very acute, and there be great heat of head, cold should be applied. If the pulse is very small, and the prostration of the patient is great, as soon as the stomach is thoroughly emptied, brandy should be given.
It is commonly supposed that the leaves of this plant are not poisonous when fresh, but this is erroneous. They are at all times poisonous. The berries also are very dangerous, more especially to children, as they have an agreeable taste, and look tempting. The danger of the leaves is not so much for the human race as it is for cattle, who are fond of eating them.

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Hemlock (Conium Maculatum). (See Plate.) Symptoms.—This plant attacks the muscular power, and causes paralysis of the limbs, sickness, pain in the head, drowsiness, and sometimes it so affects the muscles of respiration as to cause death.
Treatment.—The stomach should be evacuated by some powerful emetic, such as the following :—
Sulphate of zinc, 20 grains.
Dissolved in water, a wineglassful.
Or,
Mustard, I teaspoonfuL
Common salt, I teaspoonfuL
Warm water, a tumblerful.

After this, cold water should be applied to the head. Vinegar and water (see under Deadly Nightshade) should be administered.
The poisonous properties of this plant reside in the leaves, which somewhat resemble parsley, for which they have occasionally been mis'aken. The seeds and the root are also poisonous.

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