Symptoms

An unpleasantly strong metallic taste, a tightness in the throat, vomiting of a brown mucous character mixed with blood, fainting, great thirst, excessive pain in the stomach with shivering, purging, the stools being very offensive and of a dark character, pulse small and rapid, great nervous prostration, and delirium.

Arsenic is sometimes administered in repeated small doses, and by this means is produced a state which is called "chronic arsenical poisoning? In this case, disorder of the stomach and bowels exists, but does not form such a prominent symptom as in the more acute form of this poisoning.

There will be redness and smarting in the eyes, great sensibility of the skin, at times accompanied either by a rash, which consists of minute vesicles or blisters, or else by nettle-rash. There is also local paralysis - that is to say, paralysis of one particular set of muscles, accompanied, or rather preceded by numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes. The patient loses flesh and becomes exhausted, sometimes the skin peels off, and loss of hair occurs.

Treatment - A substance termed hydrated peroxide of iron has been strongly vaunted as an antidote to arsenic.

The best way to give it is to mix a tablespoonful with water, and give every five or ten minutes. Should this not be procurable, it is best to use the stomach-pump or emetics. (See under Hemlock).

Large quantities of mucilage should be given to drink, or eggs or milk.

When the worst symptoms have subsided, and the patient is out of immediate danger, he should be kept in bed, with warm poultices applied to the pit of the stomach. Small pills of one grain of opium should be given every four hours while pain continues, but no violent aperient.

Arsenic is one of those poisons which begun with very small doses, and gradually increasing them may become almost harmless.

One form of arsenic ("Scheele's green") is largely used as a colouring for room papers. In this form it often does insidious mischief, as it separates from the paper in minute particles, and circulates freely in the air of the room as dust. This fact may be proved by submitting some of the dust which collects on bookshelves, etc., in a room thus ornamented to a few simple chemical tests, or by causing some expert to analyse it. By so doing the inquirer will often receive satisfactory evidence of the existence of this poison if he has not previously had some practical experience of its effects.