HYDROCYANIC ACII).

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remedies in vain, was induced to have recourse to hydrocyanic acid. Hecommenced with one minim of the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, sp. gr. 0'998 :this dose he repeated twelve times the first day, without any perceptibleeffect. On the following day he took half a drachm, with the sameresult. The third day his dose was a drachm, which he repeated thefourth day. On the fifth day he took a drachm and a half, still no effectof any kind. On the sixth day he increased his dose to two drachms.In about two minutes after taking this latter quantity, he experienced asensation of extreme bitterness in the mouth, and having walked a fewpaces, was affected with great confusion, headache, and loud ringing inliis ears. He now with difficulty retraced his steps, and leaning forwardon a table, became insensible and fell backwards. In this state he re-mained altogether between three and four minutes, during which time hewas violently convulsed. Two drachms of the spiritus ammonia) aroma-ticus were diluted with a little water, and applied as quickly as possibleto the mouth, but as the teeth were clenched it could not be swallowed.The solid sesqui-carbonate of ammonia was then applied assiduously tothe nostrils ; its beneficial effects were soon apparent, and he was shortlyable to swallow a little fluid. Sensibility now speedily returned, andvomiting supervened, from which he experienced great relief; and at theexpiration of half an hour he was quite well, with the exception of painand feeling of distension in the head, which continued for the remainderof the day. After he had become insensible, and w hile leaning on thetable, his thighs became rigid, and were drawn up on the abdomen ; andas he was about falling, he was caught, and placed on the ground. Theupper extremities were then observed to be also rigid, and on drawingthem from the side, they forcibly reverted to their former position; theeyes were shut, the teeth clenched, and the muscles of the face violentlyconvulsed. It is deserving of notice that the old complaint was com-pletely removed by this extraordinary dose.

y. In poisonous doses: death rapid with or without convulsions. —Inthese cases the death is so rapid that, in the human subject, the symp-toms have scarcely been observed. They are probably similar to thosenoticed in animals,—viz. imperceptible pulse, breathing not obvious,or there may be two or three deep, hurried inspirations, insensibility, anddeath. Convulsions may or may not be present. The presence orabsence of convulsions, as connected with the time within which deathoccurs in these cases, is sometimes of great moment. Some years agothe life of a prisoner almost turned on this point. The following is anoutline of the case, which is more fully developed in Dr. Christison ’sTreatise on Poisons, and in the Medical Gazette, vol. viii. pp. 577 and797. An apothecary’s maid-servant at Leicester, was found one morningdead in bed. The body lay in a composed posture—the arms crossedover the trunk, and the bed-clothes pulled smoothly up to the chin. Ather right side lay a phial, from which about five drachms of the medicinalhydrocyanic acid had been taken, and which was corked and wrapped inpaper. It was suspected that she took the acid to occasion miscarriage,and that the apprentice was accessory to its administration; in conse-quence of which he was put on his trial. Now, the important questionfor the consideration of the medical witnesses was, could the deceased,after having drunk the poison, have had time to cork the phial, wrap itup, and adjust the bed-clothes before insensibility came on ? It was sup-