Tartar emetic

“ Tartar emetic and sulphate of copper should be avoided, except in cases of phosphorus poisoning, when the latter may be used. The hypodermic injection of 1⁄10 grain of apomorphine is a very useful emetic, especially in cases of narcotic poisoning. Irritation of the fauces with the finger or a feather promotes vomiting, and may be useful in the absence of an emetic.
The stomach tube or pump is most useful in that it is under the control of the operator and enables him to thoroughly wash out the stomach. ”

“ Magendie infers from his own researches that tartar-emetic occasions death when swallowed, not by inflaming the stomach, but through means of a general inflammatory state of the whole system subsequent to its absorption,—of which disorder the affection of the stomach and intestines and even that of the lungs are merely parts or symptoms. The later experiments of Rayer tend in some measure to confirm these views, by showing that death may occur without inflammation being excited any where. In animals killed in twenty-five 372minutes by tartar-emetic applied to a wound, he, like Dr. ”

“ Actions.—Tartar emetic is a systemic and local emetic, a diaphoretic, cardiac and arterial sedative and a gastro-intestinal irritant. It is a powerful waste producer and stimulates the secretions of the stomach, intestines, [49] salivary glands, liver and pancreas. Large doses cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, while toxic doses are followed by vomiting (in animals that can vomit) , serious blood purging, great depression of the circulation and respiration weakness, collapse and death. Tartar emetic is also a vermifuge. ”

“ In general, however, small doses of cream of tartar, namely, half a dram, six or eight times a-day; and from six to ten grains of salt-petre, with three or four grains of powdered squill, every morning and evening, may be taken without risk, if professional assistance cannot be easily obtained.—All other drugs, for instance, bark, tartar emetic, camphor, opium, &c. are powerful remedies, which ought to be prescribed by those only who possess the ability of ascertaining the nature and cause of the dicease. ”

“ That tartar emetic is a stimulant of very high power, is evident from the small quantity of it which produces the state of indirect debility that occasions vomiting. It should be given in such a manner as to increase and to support the excitement. ”

“ Arsenic, precipitate, and blue vitriol, have all been employed with success for this purpose. Dr. Griffitts informed me, that he has frequently accomplished the same thing in the Dispensary by applications of tartar emetic. They should all be used, if necessary, in succession to each other; for there is often the same idiosyncrasy in a sore leg to certain topical applications, that there is in the stomach to certain aliments. After the use of these remedies, astringents and tonics should be applied, such as an infusion of Peruvian, or white-oak bark ”

“ Wharton he affirmed that the violent convulsions, the extreme muscular rigidity, the retentive stomach, seen in the last day of General Ketchum's life were due to tartar emetic, and that to tartar emetic were due the excessive vomiting, the motionless prostration and muscular relaxation of Mr. Van Ness on the Sunday and Monday of his illness. Tartar emetic the sole possible cause of precisely opposite symptoms!
Footnote 14: (return)
The parsimony of many legal authorities is an indication of their want of appreciation of the differences in men. ”

“ With farriers or veterinarians of this description, it is become a favourite medicine upon so many occasions, that it stands entitled to a fair, candid, and unequivocal investigation. Emetic tartar, when administered to the human frame, with a design of producing the forcible effect of a strong emetic, has never, by professional men, of the most learned, distinguished, and experienced ability, exceeded six or seven; and in truly critical cases of dangerous emergency, eight grains may have been given. Ten grains have been known to operate so violently as to excite convulsions ”

“ Counter-irritation to the neck and chest has always been found useful in the treatment of this disease. Autenreith19 recommends tartar emetic to the epigastrium till vesicles appear and even ulcerate. Milder forms of counter-irritation over the chest seem equally efficacious if continued for some time. The oil of amber, when used in liniment with camphor or turpentine, is by some considered almost a specific. Great care should also be observed in the dress of children with whooping cough. ”

“ Treatment.—Place the child immediately in a hot bath up to the throat; and, on removal from the water, give an emetic of the antimonial or ipecacuanha wine, and, when the vomiting has subsided, lay a long blister down the front of the throat, and administer one of the following powders every twenty minutes to a child from three to six years of age.
2571. Take of calomel, 12 grains; tartar emetic, 2 grains; lump sugar, 30 grains. Mix accurately, and divide into 12 powders. For a child from six to twelve years, divide into 6 powders, and give one every half-hour. ”

“ In regard to tartar emetic, Dr. Taylor, in his work on medical jurisprudence, says: "Antimony in the metallic state is so easily procured from a small quantity of material that on no account should this be omitted. A reliance on a small quantity of a colored precipitate would be most unsatisfactory as chemical evidence." In defiance of all the authorities the prosecution, on the trial of Mrs. Wharton for the murder of General Ketchum, rested its proof of poison upon these color tests and their sequences. ”

“ On account of the depression of the heart's action, which is its chief symptom, it is often very desirable to cause nausea in acute inflammations and fevers. It is kept up by the careful administration of Tartar Emetic. It may not be so desirable to produce vomiting; for this is accompanied with great vascular excitement and active congestion of the brain. And yet it is found that the more Antimony we can get into the blood, the more potent and durable will its antiphlogistic influence be. For this medicine appears to possess a blood-action as well as an action on nerve. ”

“ The cure is often very difficult, because the disease has in general been long neglected before it is sufficiently noticed by the owners. As it is in general brought on by confinement, too much warmth, and over-feeding, so it is evident the cure must be begun by a steady persevering alteration in these particulars. The medicines most useful are alteratives, and of those, occasionally, emetics are the best. One grain of tartarised antimony (i. e. tartar emetic) , with two, three, or four grains of calomel, is a very useful and valuable emetic. ”

“ My stomach could never bear quinine unless subsequent to the cathartic. A well-known missionary at Constantinople recommends travellers to take 3 grains of tartar-emetic for the ejection of the bilious matter in the stomach; but the reverend doctor possibly forgets that much more of the system is disorganized than the stomach; and though in one or two cases of a slight attack, this remedy may have proved successful, it is altogether too violent for an enfeebled man in Africa. ”

“ Whenever I have been called to a patient where the scarlatina appeared to be in a forming state, a vomit of ipecacuanha or tartar emetic, [151] mixed with a few grains of calomel, has never failed of completely checking the disease, or of so far mitigating its violence, as to dispose it to a favourable issue in a few days; and if these observations should serve no other purpose than to awaken the early attention of patients and physicians to this speedy and effectual remedy, they will not have been recorded in vain. ”

“ In the forming state of this disease, which may be easily known by a hoarseness, and a slight degree of stertorous cough, a puke of antimonial wine, tartar emetic, ipecacuanha, or oxymel of squills, is for the most part an immediate cure. To be effectual, it should operate four or five times. Happily children are seldom injured by a little excess in the operation of this class of medicines. ”

“ Certain substances, the so-called irritant poisons, such as arsenic, tartar emetic and the like, induce their toxic effects by causing irritation and inflammation of the alimentary canal. All authorities agree that poisoning by these substances cannot be proved, or even rendered, very probable, by symptoms alone—that chemical evidence, the discovery of the poison in the food, dejections, or in case of death the body, is absolutely essential for making out a case. ”

“ The effect of the cold water is mechanical. When boiling water is applied sufficiently, crystallization and re-crystallization take place, and the product is the cream of tartar of medicine and commerce. There is refinement in the latter case, but no chemical change is wrought. Argols are used also for making tartaric acid, Rochelle salts, the preparation of tartrate of antimony, and potash called tartar emetic, as a mordant in dyeing, and for other purposes. Argols and crude tartar are synonyms. ”

“ Dr. Maclagan, professor of medical jurisprudence in the University of Edinburgh, was then called to give the result of the chemical examination of the various organs of the body of Mrs. Pritchard, which had been retained for analysis. Antimony, corresponding to one-fourth of a grain of tartar emetic, was found in the urine, in small quantities in the bile and blood, and as much as four grains in the whole liver. Evidence of the presence of antimony was also found in the spleen, kidney, muscular substance of the heart, coats of the stomach and rectum, the brain and uterus. ”

“ If antimony be melted or boiled with a fixed alkali, a precipitate is made by [Pg 123] cooling, called kermes mineral, formerly used in medicine. The antimonial preparations that are now most in use are antimonial wine and tartar emetic. The wine is made by infusing pulverized glass of antimony in Spanish wine some days, and filtering the clear fluid through paper. The emetic tartar, or antimonial tartar, is a saline substance, composed of acid of tartar, vegetable alkali, and antimony partially calcined. ”

“ This precipitate is soluble in strong hydrochloric acid, which being diluted, throws down a white precipitate.
3. The three dilute mineral acids (nitric is best) throw down a white precipitate with tartar emetic, which is soluble in excess of the acid used or in tartaric acid.
The metal may be separated from organic substances by Marsh’s or Reinsch’s process.
Chloride of Antimony (Terchloride or Butter of Antimony) is a powerfully corrosive liquid. It produces violent inflammation and corrosion of the whole intestinal canal; occasionally also drowsiness, as from the use of a narcotic. ”

“ EMETICS. These are no more necessary in pregnancy than blisters. Severe vomiting is sometimes productive of abortion; and who is wise enough to foretell what may be the effect of a dose of tartar emetic given to a woman when in this highly impressible state? A single emetic has caused 220severe and permanent pain, which has been removed only after parturition has taken place.
PURGATIVE MEDICINES. That pregnant women do not bear purging so well as at other times, is a matter of common observation among medical men. ”

“ The double tartrate of potash and soda was first prepared in 1672 by Peter Seignette, an apothecary of Rochelle, and was used by him in medicine. Tartar emetic was discovered by Adrian158 von Mynsicht in 1631, and its true nature explained by Bergmann in 1773. Racemic acid was first mentioned by a wine manufacturer named Kestner, and was recognised as an acid in 1819. Its relation to tartaric acid, with which it is isomeric, was first explained by Berzelius, who gave it its name. ”

“ The Baron said he had no doubt that it was a trick on the part of the servant maid, between whom and her mistress there had been some dispute a few days since. We therefore determined on taxing her with it; but before doing so, proceeded to examine a bottle of prepared tartar emetic, which, as the Baron informed me, he kept for his own use, being subject to digestive derangement. He was, I believe, addicted to the pleasures of the table, and was in the habit of taking an occasional emetic. ”

“ Almost all young dogs are liable to the distemper, and it kills many. When seized with it before they are eighteen months old they generally die, but after that age it is much less likely to prove fatal. Most dog-doctors give a dose of tartar emetic and calomel, like that I have mentioned above, if they are called in while the disease is in its first stage; but, when it is attended with a kind of dysentery, they give balls made of prepared chalk, gum arabic, and conserve of roses, and the dog is fed on rice-milk. ”

“ We do not find strychnine, prussic acid, or any trace of opium. From the contents having been drained away, it is now impossible to say whether any strychnine had or had not been given just before death; but it is quite possible for tartar emetic to destroy life if given in repeated doses; and, so far as we can at present form an opinion, in the absence of any natural cause of death, the deceased may have died from the effects of antimony in this or some other form. ”

“ Where, as is not infrequently the case, a cur takes to eating eggs, a single dose of tartar emetic concealed in an egg which is placed where he can readily find it, is apt to effect an immediate and complete reform. This ready learning from experience is almost the gist of our human quality—at least on the intellectual side of it. ”