Arsenicals poisoning

The poisonous nature of many of the arsenical compounds has-been knowm from remote antiquity, and it is probable that more murders have been coiymitted by their use than by that of all other toxic substances combined. Even at the present time— notwithstanding the fact that, suspicion once aroused, the detection of arsenic in the dead body is certain and comparatively easy—criminal arsenical poisoning is still quite common, especially in rural districts. 

It will rarely happen that in a case of suspected homicidal poisoning by arsenic, or by other poisons, the physician in charge will be willing or competent to conduct the chemical analysis, upon which, probably, the conviction or acquittal of the accused will mainly depend. Upon his knowledge and care, however, the success or futility of the chemist s labors depends in a great measure. 

as a rule, the physician who first suspects foul play and, while it is undoubtedly his duty to avoid any public manifestation of his suspicion, it is as certainly his duty toward his patient and toward the community, to satisfy himself as to the truth or falsity of his suspicion by the application of a simple test to the excreta of the patient during life, the result of which may enable him to prevent a crime, or, falling that, take the first step toward the punishment of the criminal. 

In a case in which, from the symptoms, the physician suspects poisoning by any substance, he should himself test the urine or 

Cases frequently arise in which it is impossible to bring the chemist upon the ground in time for the autopsy. In such cases the physician should remember that that j ortion of the poison remaining in the alimentary tract (we are speaking of true poisons) is but the residue of the dose in excess of that which has been necessary to produce death and, if the processes of elimination have been active, there may remain no trace of the poison in the alimentary canal, while it still may bo detectable in deeper. seated organs. The poison may also have been administered by another channel than the mouth, in which event it may not reach the stomach. 

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Arsenic compounds must be considered extremely poisonous. Dust or fumes irritate mucous membranes and lead to arsenical poisoning. When swallowed they irritate the stomach and affect the heart, Hver, and kidneys. Nervousness, thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis, and coUapse are among the symptoms of arsenical poisoning (3). In spite of the toxicity of arsenic compounds, there is evidence that arsenic is an essential nutrient for several animal species (4). 

Arsen-saure, /, arsenic acid, -silber, n, silver arsenide, -silberblende,/, proustite, -spiegel, m. arsenic mirror, -suifid, n, arsenic sulfide, esp. the pentasulfide. -sulfur, n. arsenic trisulfide, arsenic(III) sulfide, -iir, n, (-ous) arsenide, -verbindung, /. arsenic compound, -vergiftung, /. arsenic poisoning, -wasser-stoff, m. arsenic hydride, arseniuretted hydrogen (specif, arsine, AsHa). -zink, n. zinc arsenide. 

The "arsenic poison" referred to in true-crime dramas is actually the oxide of arsenic, As203, rather than the element itself. Less than 0.1 g of this white, slightly soluble powder can be fatal. The classic symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning involve various unpleasant gastroin-... 

In the modern forensic chemistry laboratory (Figure B) arsenic is detected by analysis of hair samples, where the element tends to concentrate in chronic arsenic poisoning. A single strand of hair is sufficient to establish the presence or absence of the element. The technique most commonly used is neutron activation analysis, described in Chapter 19. If the concentration found is greater than about 0.0003%, poisoning is indicated normal arsenic levels are much lower than this. 

Lasch, F. 1958. Clinic and therapy in severe arsenic poisoning. Med. Klin. 53 787-789. 

Landrigan, P.J., R.J.Castello, and W.T.Stringer. 1982. Occupational exposure to arsine. An epidemiologic reappraisal of current standards. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health. 8 169-177. Legge, T.M. 1916. Arsenic poisoning. In Diseases of Occupations and Vocational Hygiene, G.M.Kober and W.Hanson, eds. Philadelphia, PA Blakiston. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Bovine viral diarrhea, East Coast fever, foot-and-mouth disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, malignant catarrhal fever, vesicular stomatitis, paratuberculosis, and arsenic poisoning. 

Episodes of arsenic poisoning are either acute or subacute cases of chronic arsenosis are rarely encountered, except in humans. 

Research results on arsenic poisoning in mammals (Table 28.6) show general agreement on eight points ... 

Accumulations of 1 mg/kg BW daily for 3 months in children, or 80 mg/kg BW daily for 3 years in adults produced symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning... 

Tissue residues Residues, in mg total As/kg FW, liver or kidney in 2-10 range are considered elevated residues >10 mg/kg are indicative of arsenic poisoning (Goede 1985)... 

Chronic arsenic poisoning Lifetime cumulative absorption of 1 g As, or intake of 0.7-2.6 g/year for several years (in medications) can produce symptoms after latent period of 4-24 years (NRCC 1978)... 

Choprapawon, C. and A. Rodcline. 1997. Chronic arsenic poisoning in Ronpibool Nakhon Sri Thammarat, the southern province of Thailand. Pages 69-77 in C.O. Abernathy, R. Calderon, and W.R. Chappell (eds.). Arsenic. Exposure and Health Effects. Chapman Hall, London. 

Samad, M.A. and A. Chowdhury. 1984. Clinical cases of arsenic poisoning in cattle. Indian Jour. Vet. Med. 4 107-108. 

Selby, L.A., A.A. Case, G.D. Osweiler, and H.M. Hages, Jr. 1977. Epidemiology and toxicology of arsenic poisoning in domestic animals. Environ. Health Perspec. 19 183-189. 

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