Sangamesh B KRoll no-31

SEMECARPUS ANACARDICM

SEMECARPUS ANACARDICM Marking nuts (bhilawa) are black, heart-

shaped with rough projection at the baseThey have a thick, cellular pericarp, which

contains an irritant juice which is brownish, oily but turns black on exposure to air

Signs and SymptomsA. Applied externally

The juice causes irritation and a painful blister which contains acrid serum

The lesion resembles a bruise Later, an ulcer is produced and there may

be sloughing

B. Taken by mouth In small dose The juice causes less

irritation

In large dose it produces

• Blisters on throat • Severe gastrointestinal irritation• Tachycardia• Hypotension• Cyanosis• Areflexia• Delirium• Coma and death

Fatal Dose: 5 to 10 grm Fatal Period: 12 to 24 hours

Treatment: (l) Gastric lavage

(2) Demulcent drinks (3)when applied externally – wash with

lukewarm water containing antiseptic

Postmortem AppearancesBlisters are seen in the mouth throat and

stomach which are congested and inflamed

Circumstances of Poisoning(l) Accidental poisoning may result from the

administration of juice internally by quacks

(2) Homicidal and suicidal poisoning is rare(3) Sometimes, the juice is introduced into

the vagina as a punishment for infidelity(4) For criminal abortion, the bruised nut is

applied to the cervical os

Circumstances of Poisoning

(5) To support a false charge of assault, the juice is applied to skin which produces lesions simulating bruises

(6) The juice may be thrown on the body to cause injury

(7) Malingerers use the juice to produce ophthalmia. Circumstances of Poisoning

ERGOT

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ERGOT is the dried sclerotinum of the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which grows on cereals like rye, barley, wheat, oats, etc.

It gradually replaces the grain forming a curved, dark-purple or black compact In— and has disagreeable taste.

It contains about thirty alkaloids, but ergotoxine, ergotamine and ergometrine are important.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMSA. In acute cases

• Nausea• vomiting• diarrhoea• tightness in the chest• difficulty in breathing• marked muscular weakness and

exhaustion• tingling and numbness in the hands and

feet• paraesthesias, followed by twitching or

cramps in the muscles• Bleeding from the nose and other mucous

surfaces is common after large doses

cont

• The pulse is rapid and weak• pupils are dilated with dimness of vision

• blood pressure is raised

B. CHRONIC POISONING (ergotism) Tingling and numbness of the skinDry gangrene of the fingers, toes,

ears, nose, etc. There is a sensation of insects

creeping under the skinNeurological disorder

a. hallucinationsb. ataxia c. convulsions

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FATAL DOSE: 5 to 10 g. FATAL PERIOD: one day.

TREATMENT: Wash the stomach and give purgatives. Vasodilators, e.g. nitrites are useful.

POSTMORTEM APPEARANCES: They are not characteristic.

POISONING: The consumption of bread made with contaminated rye is the chief cause of ergotism.

Ergot is commonly used as an abortifacient.

Calotropis

Calotropis gigantea (akdo, madar) has purple flowers and Calotropis procera has white flowers

They grow wild throughout IndiaThe active principles are uscharin.

calotoxin, calactin and calotropin.The leaves and stem when incised yield

thick milky juice.

Calotropis procera

Calotropis gigantea

Signs and SymptomsA. Applied to the skin

causes redness and vesication

B. When taken by mouth The juice produces an acrid bitter taste Burning pam in throat and stomach Salivation Stomatitis Vomiting diarrhoea, dilated pupils tetanic convulsions collapse and death.

Fatal Dose: Uncertain. Fatal Period: 6 to 12 hours.

Treatment: Stomach wash, demulcents and symptomatic.

Postmortem Appearances Inflammation of GIT is seenThe abdominal viscera and brain are

congested.

Circumstances of Poisoning(l) It is sometimes used for infanticide and

rarely for suicide or homicide(2) The juice is taken by mouth or

introduced into uterus on an abortion stick for criminal abortion

(3) As a cattle poison, it is smeared on a cloth and pushed into the rectum of the animal or is given with fodder

(4) It is sometimes used as arrow poison

Circumstances of Poisoning(5) Occasionally, to produce artificial

bruise(6) The flowers, leaves, root and juice are

used in Indian medicine(7) Juice is used as a vesicant, depilatory

and for chrome skin infections(8) The root of calotropis procera is highly

poisonous to cobras, and other poisonous snakes, which cannot stand even its smell.

CANTHARIDES

The Spanish fly (blister beetle) is 2 cm. long and 0.6 cm. broad.

The powder of the dried body is greyish-brown and contains shiny green particles.

The active principle is cantharidin.It is used externally as an irritant.Cantharidin is readily absorbed from all

surfaces including the skin.

Signs and SymptomsA. Applied to the skin,

Redness Burning pain are produced after 2 to 3

hours followed by vesication.

Signs and SymptomsB. Taken internally

Burning sensation in the mouth and throat

Pain in the stomach Nausea Vomiting of bloody mucus Severe thirst Difficulty in swallowing Dull pain is felt in the loins The urine is scanty and blood-stained. Priapism may occur Abortion occurs in pregnant women

Fatal Dose: 15 to 50 mg. of cantharidin, or 2 to 3 g. of powdered cantharides.

Fatal Period: 24 to 36 hours.

Postmortem AppearancesThe mouth, stomach and Intestinal canal

show inflammation and sometimes vesication.

The kidneys are acutely inflamed there is haemorrhage in the renal pelvis

and bladder.The bladder mucosa is inflamed and

ecchymoses may be present.The surfaces of the heart and endocardium

show haemorrhages.The lungs may be oedematous and the air-

passages contain bloodstained mucus.

Circumstances of Poisoning

( l) Accidental poisoning may occur by its external application as counterirritant

(2) Rarely used for homicide(3) Criminal abortion(4) It is used as an aphrodisiac

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