Treatise on Poisons by Sir Robert Christison

throughout their whole progress. This character is the least invariable of them all; for many poisons cause very different symptoms towards the close from those which they cause at the beginning. Arsenic may induce at first inflammation of the alimentary canal, and afterwards palsy or epilepsy; nux-vomica may excite at first violent tetanus, and afterwards inflammation of the stomach and bowels; and corrosive sublimate, after exciting in the first instance inflammation, may prove eventually fatal by inducing excessive ptyalism. In truth, certain changes of this kind in the nature of the symptoms will, in special cases, afford strong presumption, perhaps absolute proof, not only of general poisoning, but even also of the particular poison given. The reason for mentioning so uncertain a character as uniformity in the nature of the symptoms among their characteristics will appear presently.—[pp. 47 & 50.]