A text-book of practical therapeutics . present. HYDROCYANIC ACID 313 Poisoning.—When a lethal dose of hydrocyanic acid is taken, deatheither comes at once, so that the person drops with a gasp, is for amoment convulsed, the face cyanotic, the eyes wide open, with theteeth tightly clinched, and the lips covered by a bloody froth, or threestages of poisoning may ensue if the dose has not been large enough toresult in immediate death, owing to its slow absorption. In the firstof these stages there are difficult respiration, slow cardiac action, anddisturbed cerebration. In the second stage, whic
A text-book of practical therapeutics . present. HYDROCYANIC ACID 313 Poisoning.—When a lethal dose of hydrocyanic acid is taken, deatheither comes at once, so that the person drops with a gasp, is for amoment convulsed, the face cyanotic, the eyes wide open, with theteeth tightly clinched, and the lips covered by a bloody froth, or threestages of poisoning may ensue if the dose has not been large enough toresult in immediate death, owing to its slow absorption. In the firstof these stages there are difficult respiration, slow cardiac action, anddisturbed cerebration. In the second stage, which is convulsive,there are present wild cries, dilated pupils, unconsciousness, vomiting,spasmodic urination and defecation, erections of the penis, and ejacu-lations of semen. In the third stage there are asphyxia, collapse, andparalysis ending in death. The blood is found to be dark and venous-looking, but does not give the spectrum bands of bands only appear when the drug is shaken with blood outsidethe Fig. 50.—Tracing of the deep stormy respirations of an animal under the influenceof hydrocyanic acid. (After Schmiedeberg.) I, normal respirations; II, acid inhaled;III, violent deep respirations; IV, arrest of respiration. The diagnostic signs of death from prussic acid are the odor of theacid about the body, the wide-staring eye, the clinched teeth coveredwith froth, and the livid, cyanosed face. If the body be opened, theodor of hydrocyanic acid is marked, but this rapidly passes awayowing to the volatility of the drug. The only poison producing symptoms resembling those which havejust been described is nitrobenzole, or essence of mirbane, which hasa somewhat similar odor, but which is, however, more permanent, theodor remaining for hours in the opened body. Therapeutics.—Hydrocyanic acid is used in cases of gastralgia ofpurely nervous origin, in some cases of nervous vomiting, and inirritable stomach, where owing to hyperesthesia of the m
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjecttherape, bookyear1922
