Medical Jurisprudence And Toxicology

CHAPTER XXIX

CEREBRAL POISONS- (Contd.)

B. INEBRIANT POISONS
ALCOHOL (ETHYL ALCOHOL, ALCOHOL ETHYLICUM), C,H,OHo

ft Maws* ft

acetic acid*

ss *

proof " and stronger spirits " over proof *

The following is the percentage of absolute alcohol by weight contained
in various alcoholic beverages : —

ttt 40 per cent ; Rum, about 51 to 59 per cent ;

£ I*** ' **

3 per cent.

Acute Poisoning.—This may result from, consumption of an alcoholic
beverage in small &• at; ghSf intervals or in an excessively large dose at
a time,

Symptoms.-The symptoms of acute poisoning; or acute> ^cation are
at first a sense of well-being, self-confidence and exhilaration, «U^tog^fJhe
skin and face, and then gradual loss of self-control, garrutousness, argumen-
tativeness, rude behaviour, sentimentality and moroseness, or melancholia.
These are followed by confusion of ideas, muscular ^cc-ordmatjon, stagger-
ing gait, slurad and incoherent speech, Murred vision and stupor. After a
time recovery may occur, accom&ied by nausea and vomxtmg, which are
regarded as the early signi of recovery. The«mfiy be followed by sleep and
severe headache.

If recovery does not occur/fee patient passe? ^dually into unconscious.
ness and coma with stow, sterfeuT^athln?1 ^ » f"U. ra&d Pu^e yUch
then becomes slow and, srn^ll. -The breath smells of alcohol The patient may
be roused temporarily by A Joud noise or a vxolent shake. The pupils are
generally dilate? in £rly 5«geS) but may be contracted in late stages or m
coma. Their reaction to light b a hopeful sign. The temperature becomes
sub-normal. Death usually occurs from asphyxia due to respiratory para-
lysis, but it may occur from shock due to paralysis of the abdominal nenre
centre, if a very large auantity of undiluted alcohol is taken, Sometwies,
convulsions preTedTdeath Insome cases the patient regains Sentfbi% om