Page:Treatise on poisons in relation to medical jurisprudence, physiology, and the practice of physic (IA treatiseonpoison00chriuoft).pdf/568

 was very feeble; and that the symptoms were excitement of the pulse, convulsions, and tetanus, without any tendency to sopor or somnolency. Hence codeïa is conceived to be a stimulant of the nervous system, and consequently the cause of the excitant effects sometimes produced by opium. It may be doubted, however, whether its proportion in opium is sufficient for explaining these effects.

Meconic acid is inert. Sertuerner, indeed, thought the meconate of soda acted as a powerful poison in some experiments made on himself and on dogs; but more careful researches have since proved that he was misled by some error. Sömmering found that ten grains of meconic acid or meconate of soda had no effect whatever on dogs. Subsequently, in consequence of two people having died suddenly at Turin after taking each a grain of the acid, some careful experiments were made by Drs. Feneglio and Blengini, who gave eight grains to dogs, crows, and frogs, and four grains to various men, without remarking any injurious effects whatever. The distilled water of opium was formerly considered an active poison; but Orfila found it nearly or altogether inert. Two pounds introduced into the stomach of a dog, and two ounces and a half injected into a vein, had no effect whatever. III.—Of the Morbid Appearances caused by Opium.

In discussing this subject the appearances in the best marked cases will be first noticed; and then some account; will be given of the variations to which they are liable.

In Knape's Annals there is a good example of the most aggravated state of the appearances left by opium. It is the case of an infant who was killed in the course of a night by a decoction of poppy-heads. There was much lividity over the whole back part of the body. All the sinuses and vessels of the brain were gorged with fluid blood; and a good deal of serosity was found in the ventricles and base of the skull. The pharynx was red. The lungs were distended, and so gorged with fluid blood, that it ran out in a stream when they were cut. The cavities of the heart contained the same fluid blood. There was some redness in the villous coat of the stomach and intestines; and poppy-seeds were found in the stomach. Although the body had been kept only two days in the month of February, the belly emitted a putrid odour when it was laid open.

In commenting upon these appearances, it may be first remarked, that turgescence of the vessels in the brain, and watery effusion into the ventricles, and on the surface of the brain, are generally met with. Dr. Bright mentions an instance where unusual turgescence