POISONS.

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The superacetate of lead (sugar of Jead) dissolved in water isprecipitated white by means of sulphuric acid; of a canary colourby Chromate of potash and chromic acid ; both of which are easilyreduced by calcination. The alkaline sulphurets precipitate thesuperacetate of lead of a blackish colour.

Mercury, and its Preparations; e. g. Oxymuriate of mercury,or corrosive sublimate ; nitric oxide of mercury, or red precipitate ;sulphuret of mercury, or vermilion.

Symptoms. — Acrid metallic taste, thirst, fulness and burning ;itthe throat ; anxiety, teasing pains of the stomach and bowels ;nausea and vomiting of various coloured fluid, sometimes bloody ;diarrhoea and dysuria, or difficulty of making water. Pulse quick,small, and hard : faintings, great debility, difficult breathing,cramp, cold sweats, insensibility, death.

Treatment. — Whites of eggs decompose corrosive sublimate.One mixed with water may be given every two or three minutesto promote vomiting, and to lessen the virulence of the poison ;milk in large quantities, gum-water, or linseed-tea, sugar and wa-ter, or water itself at about 80°. Gluten, as it exists in wheat-flour, also decomposes sublimate, and should be given mixed withwater. Inflammation to be anticipated, and treated by the usualremedies.

Tests. — Mercurial preparations heated to redness in a glass tubewith potash, are decomposed ; the quicksilver being volatilized.The oxymuriate or sublimate is precipitated white by ammonia ;yellow by potash ; and of an orange colour by lime-water. By ni-trate of tin, a copious dark brown precipitate is formed ; and byalbumen mixed with cold water, a flocculent one.

The red and nitric oxides may be dissolved in muriatic acid andconverted into sublimate.

Vermilion is insoluble in water or muriatic acid ; but is entirelyvolatilized by heat.

Silver, Nitrate op. ( Lunarcaustic. /

Symptoms similar to those occasioned by other corrosive poisons.

Treatment. — A table-spoonful of the muriate of soda {commonsalt) dissolved in a pint of water, and a wine-glassful to be takenevery two minutes, to decompose the poison ; after which mucila-ginous drenches or purgatives may be administered.

Tests. — Nitrate of silver is precipitated white by muriate ofsoda ; yellow by phosphate and Chromate of soda. If placed onburning coals, it animates them, leaving a coating of silver ; cal-cined with charcoal and potash, the silver is reduced to its metal-lic state.

Zinc, Sulphate or Oxyd of.

Symptoms. — A sour taste, sense of choking, nausea, vomiting,pain in the stomach, frequent stools, difficult breathing, quickenedpulse, face pale, cold extremities, but seldom death from the emeticqualities of the poison.

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