The gastro-intestinal mucous membrane is
bright red in colour, owing to the presence of cyanmethaemoglobin. Hands
clenched, nails blue, jaws fixed, froth about mouth. Eyes prominent and
glistening, odour of acid from body, venous system gorged.
_Treatment._--Empty the stomach by the tube at once, and wash it out
with a solution of sodium thiosulphate. Strong ammonia to the nostrils.
Stimulants freely--brandy, chloric ether, ammonia, sal volatile _ad
libitum_. If patient cannot swallow, inject hypodermically either brandy
or ether. Hypodermic injection of 1/50 grain atropine. Douche to the
face, alternately hot and cold. Death commonly occurs so rapidly that
there is no time for treatment.
_Fatal Dose (Smallest)._--Half a drachm of the B.P. acid, equal to 0.6
grain of the anhydrous. _Recovery_ from 1/2 ounce of the B.P. acid.
These records are fallacious, for in specimens the percentage of
anhydrous acid varies enormously. Practically, 1 grain of the anhydrous
acid is fatal.
_Fatal Period._--From two to five minutes after a large dose, but may be
less.
_Method of Extraction from the Stomach._--Having previously carefully
fitted a watchglass to a wide-mouthed bottle, nearly fill the bottle
with the contents of the stomach, blood, secretions, etc.
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