On poisoning by tartarized antimony : with medico-legal observations on the cases of Ann Palmer and others / by Alfred S. Taylor.

  • Taylor, Alfred Swaine, 1806-1880.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On poisoning by tartarized antimony : with medico-legal observations on the cases of Ann Palmer and others / by Alfred S. Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    vomiting followed, and on this occasion the illness was more severe. Dr. Wetzler felt that he could not continue his experiments. Dr. Jankowich, of Ofen,1 wishing to determine for himself the action of tartarized antimony on the healthy body, took, on the 14th July, 1841, a dose of the following mixture every hour : —Tartarized antimony, twelve grains, dissolved in three drachms of distilled water; of Mucilage of Gum Acacia, and Opiate Syrup, each half an ounce. Dr. Jankowich took eight grains of the antimony in five doses, or about one grain and a half for a dose hourly, commencing at eleven o^clock in the morning. Shortly after the first dose, he suffered from giddi- ness and a feeling of illness; after the second dose, a shiver- ing over the whole body, cold perspiration, nausea, and retch' ing. After the third dose, a painful feeling in the pit of the stomach, vomiting of much mucus and bile; uneasiness in the bowels, but without pain or purging; excessive and constant perspiration; increased flow of saliva :—and thirst, which he was compelled to satisfy by taking small quantities of cold water. He suffered from such extreme depression and weak- ness that he had not the power to rise from his seat. The fourth dose was followed by a feeling of increased illness, vomiting and purging. After the fifth dose, such apathy and disgust were excited that he felt quite ready to die. The pulse was considerably reduced. Up to this time, he had not suffered from any burning heat, constriction in the throat, or severe pain in the stomach and bowels; but his repugnance to any more doses of the medicine was such, that he found it impossible to continue it. He took some broth, which, how- ever, he speedily vomited; this was followed by a further action on the bowels, nausea, perspiration,, and great depres- sion, lasting until night. He slept calmly, and the next day the unpleasant symptoms had disappeared. We have, therefore, in this interesting series of experi- ments, an illustration of the effects of comparatively small doses of tartarized antimony, taken at intervals, on the human body. In Dr. MayerhofeUs case, one grain was taken in 1 Med. Jalirb. dcrdsterr Staat. v. Raimann, 1842, p. 49.