Symptoms

Burning pain in the oesophagus and stomach, colicky pains, muscle cramps, thirst, akin moist and cold, headache, vomiting and later purging. Pulse weak and rapid, respiration shallow and rapid, cyanosis, suppression of urine, convulsions, coma.

If death, in a half hour to two weeks, but usually in about ten hours.

Chemical Antidote

Ferri Hydroxidum Cum Magnesii Oxido (official arsenic antidote) 100 c. c, followed by a tablespoonful of castor oil.

Treatment

Wash out the stomach with warm water or remove its contents by emetics (apomorphine hydrochloride gr. 1-10 hypodermatically, zinc sulphate two grams, or a tablespoonful of mustard to a wineglass of water) repeated in fifteen minutes, if necessary. Keep up the body temperature with dry heat applications. Use morphine hypodermatically for the pain. Counteract the depression with strychnine hypodermatically. Should there be insufficient response to this, give one c. c. of adrenalin or Suprarenalin solution (1 to 1,000) intra-muscularly and follow with atropine hypodermatically. If stimulation must be kept up use a saturated solution of camphor in olive oil, one c. c, intramuscularly pro re nata until such time as strychnine may be repeated with safety. Allay the thirst and soothe the mucous membranes by the unrestricted use of any demulcent liquid that may be de-sired. Milk, albumin water and starch water are suitable. Sequela. - Renal inflammation.