Symptoms

These generally are sudden in their occurrence. As in criminal or accidental poisoning the quantity of the poison is usually large, the symptoms are both sudden and severe. In criminal poisoning, however, as is well known from many notorious instances that have been made public, the dose sometimes given is small and continued for a long interval so as to give the symptoms the characters of disease. Villany often succeeds in this attempt, but happily more frequently fails. It is in these cases that the true nature of the symptoms becomes difficult of detection, and calls for the closest vigilance. The circumstances attending the large and clumsy doses of the first mentioned class of cases are for the most part so obvious that a little investigation leads to discovery. Another feature attends these, that is the suddenness and severity of the attack not unfrequently induces a suspicion of poisoning where truly disease alone is the cause of death or illness. Further investigation will generally lead to a correct conclusion.

The symptoms of the most common poisons now to be related will be found of assistance in the formation of an opinion m either instance.

Circumstances Modifying Action Of Poisons

There are certain conditions of the body which modify the action of poisons. Sleep or intoxication for example which retards, or debilitated states of the body which accelerate their action. Different diseases also have very different influence over the action of poisons, some accelerating and others retarding them.

Distinctive Symptoms

Then again, the symptoms of poisoning will generally occur after a meal or medicines have been taken, manifesting themselves within an hour after the poison has been introduced into the system. Strong presumptive evidence of poisoning may also be assumed when a number of people, who have been partaking of the same food, are all seized with similar symptoms. In such a case it is very advisable to cause a strict investigation to be made into the articles of food of which the sufferers have partaken, and not only this, but all the culinary utensils, in which the food has been prepared, should also be examined.

Diseases Resembling Poisoning

Great caution should, however, be observed before arriving at the conclusion that poisons have been administered, and it should be borne in mind that there are many diseases the symptoms of which offer a close resemblance to those of poisoning; among these are those particularly affecting the nervous system, such as apoplexy, lockjaw, epilepsy, etc. The symptoms of cholera are often very sudden, and have been mistaken for those of poisoning, as have also colic or perforations, resulting from ulceration of either the stomach or intestines. The diseases of the heart also frequently cause the sudden appearance of alarming symptoms, which, if the existence of disease were not suspected, might easily be mistaken for those of poisoning.