Treatise on Poisons by Sir Robert Christison
Chapter 1
609 words | Chapter 1
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Treatise on Poisons
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: Treatise on Poisons
Author: Sir Robert Christison
Release date: May 14, 2021 [eBook #65341]
Most recently updated: October 18, 2024
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65341
Credits: Richard Tonsing, MWS, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TREATISE ON POISONS ***
A
TREATISE
ON
POISONS
IN RELATION TO
MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE, PHYSIOLOGY, AND THE PRACTICE OF PHYSIC.
BY
ROBERT CHRISTISON, M.D., F.R.S.E.,
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Edinburgh, Fellow of
the Royal College of Physicians, &c., Member of the American
Philosophical Society,—of the Royal Acad. of Med. of Paris,—of the Imp.
Soc. of Physicians of Vienna,—of the Imp. Med. Chir. Acad. of St.
Petersburg,—of the Med. Chir. Soc. of Berlin,—of the Med. Chir. Assoc,
of Hamburg,—of the Soc. of Nat. and Phys. of Heidelberg,—of the
Philadelphia Coll. of Pharm.
FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE FOURTH EDINBURGH EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA:
ED. BARRINGTON & GEO. D. HASWELL.
1845.
PREFACE
TO THE FOURTH EDITION.
[Illustration]
The author regrets that circumstances beyond his control have delayed
the re-appearance of the present work beyond the period at which it was
called for by the favourable reception of the last edition. He has
endeavoured to take advantage of the numerous investigations which have
been carried on during the interval into the several departments of
Toxicology in the leading countries of Europe; and has in consequence
been led to enlarge the work materially.
He trusts it may be allowed him to express his satisfaction at finding,
that the rapid progress made by Toxicological science during the last
eight years, while it has been productive of many important additions to
our knowledge, has nevertheless not rendered any important alterations
necessary either in the general principles formerly laid down in this
work, or in what had been there stated as well ascertained general
facts.
EDINBURGH COLLEGE,
_November, 1844_.
CONTENTS.
PART FIRST.—OF GENERAL POISONING.
PAGE
CHAP. I. Of the Physiological Action of Poisons 9
SECTION 1. Of their Mode of Action 9
Of the Discovery of Poisons in the Blood 21
SECTION 2. Of the Causes which modify their Action 27
Application of the preceding observations to the
Treatment of Poisoning 36
CHAP. II. Of the Evidence of General Poisoning 39
SECTION 1. Of the Evidence from Symptoms 42
Characters of the Symptoms of Poisoning 42
Characters of the Symptoms of Natural Disease 46
SECTION 2. Of the Evidence from Morbid Appearances 51
SECTION 3. Of the Evidence from Chemical Analysis 54
Causes which remove Poisons beyond the reach of
analysis 55
Chemical Evidence not always indispensable to the
proof of Poisoning 59
SECTION 4. Evidence from Experiments on Animals 62
With suspected articles of food or drink 63
With vomited matter or contents of the stomach 67
With the flesh of poisoned animals 69
SECTION 5. Moral Evidence 71
Suspicious conduct of prisoner, 73 and 78.—Proof
of administration of poison, 73.—Proof of
intent, 78.—Proof from simultaneous illness of
several people, 80.—Proof from death-bed
declaration 83
CHAP. III. Of Imaginary, Pretended, and Imputed Poisoning 85
Reading Tips
Use arrow keys to navigate
Press 'N' for next chapter
Press 'P' for previous chapter