TOXICOLOGY

 Important poisonous snakes of India are Cobra, king cobra, common krait, banded krait, common green pit viper, russell's viper and saw scaled viper. The poisonous snakes are further classified on the bases of poison secreted by them into three main types- 1. Elapids (secreting neurotoxic venom)  2. Vipers (vasculotoxic venom) 3. Sea snake (myotoxic) 1. Elapids:-    It consist of cobra, king cobra, common krait, banded krait and coral. The head is nearly of the same width as that of neck, pupil are round, the fangs are situated anteriorly but being covered of fold of mucus membrane, tail is usually round.  2. Viper:-    This group consist of pit vipers and pitless viper, the head is triangular and wider than the neck and pupil is vertical. The fangs are long, movable and canalized with hypodermic needle. While bite of pit vipers seldom fatal to human beings, those of pitless viper are dangerous. The tail is tapering. The bamboo ...

Bees are flying insect closely related to wasps known for their role in producing honey and bees wasp. Sign and symptoms:- Skin reaction includes redness and itching. Flushed or pale face, difficulty in breathing, swelling in throat and tongue, burning and stinging pain. A weak, rapid pulse greater than 85, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea may present. Dizziness and fainting. Treatment:- Local wound care such as cleaning and applying ointment, any stingers that remains, also be removed.

Cantharides is also known as spanish fly. Spanish fly is about 2cm long and 0.75cm bro ad. The active principle is cantharidin. Which causes blister or vesicle on the skin. Therefore the spanish fly is also known as blister beatle or cantharis vesicatoria.  Symptoms and signs:- When applied to skin, inflammatory response results to 2-3hours and vesicles forms later. When swallowed symptoms appear about an hour. There is a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and abdomen followed by intense thirst, difficulty in swallowing and nausea and vomiting of blood stained material. And diarrhea with blood and mucus. Nephrotoxic effects manifest as dull pain in the loins region and constant desire to micturate but also small amount of blood stained urine is passed. The inflammation extent to the urine bladder and urethra.  Fatal dose-  1.5gm of powder, 1ounce of tincture and 10mg cantharidin is regard as fatal dose. Fatal period-  It vari...

 The largest principle is not an alkaloid but a fat soluble oleoresin, cannabinol. The poison is absorbed both from the digestive and respiratory tract. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and is used in the following four forms- 1. Bhang-  It is prepared from the dry leaves and fruit. It contain the active and principle in a concentration of 15% and is least potent. 2. Majun-  This is a sweet made with bhang. 3. Ganja- This consist of the flowering tops and contain the active principle in concentration of about 25%. 4. Charas-  It is also known as Hashish. It is smoked with tobacco in a pipe or hukkah and is the most potent of all cannabis preparation containing the active principle in a concentration about 25%-40%. Sign and symptoms:- 1. The patient is pleased with himself and has a feeling of cheerfulness and well being. 2. He tends to become very talkative and his appetite is increased. 3. There is loss of perceptio...

Introduction:- Datura plant commonly found in waste places all over the India. There are two varieties - 1. Datura alba - A white flower plant 2. Datura niger - A black flower plant  Datura is also known as 'Thorn apple' because fruit are spherical and have sharp spines. The active principle contain the alkaloids are hyoscine or scopolamine, laevo hyosyamine and traces of atropine.  It is also known as Road poison. It is commonly encountered during a journey. The powdered seeds are mixed with food, tea or drink or pan and given to unwary traveler prior to robbery and kidnapping.  Sign and symptoms:- The earliest symptoms is bitter taste in mouth, there is dryness of the mouth and throat. Resulting in difficulty in taking, dysphagia and unquenchable to thirst. The face is flushed, insensitive to light. The body temperature in raised. The skin is dry and hot. There will be vomiting. These symptoms are followed by giddiness and unsteady gait. The patient become ...

 It is a transparent, colorless, volatile liquid having a spirit like odour and burning taste. The term alcohol in popular use refer to Ethyl alcohol. Which is present various fermented and distilled beverages. This group of poison are characterized by two set of symptoms ie Excitement and narcosis, The stage of excitement being well marked in some and that of narcosis in others. Sign and symptoms:-   Ethyl alcohol depresses the central nervous system. It first depresses the higher centers which control judgement and behaviour. (stage of excitement) Then the motar centers (stage of incordination) and finally the vital centers in the medulla (stage of narcosis). 1. Stage of excitement:-   This is a feeling of well being and pleasure resulting from inhibition of the higher centers. The drinker converse well, laugh and smiles readily and become angry easily. He may disclosed secrets. He may behave in obscene manner or talk in vulger languages. 2. Stage...

Opium or afim is the dried juice obtained by incision of the unripe capsules of the white poppy. Its activity is due to the phenantrene and isoquinoline group of alcohloid. The principal alcohloid of opium used in medicine are morphine and codiene. These act as narcotics or sedative. Sign and symptoms:-   Its action is characterized by two set of symptoms. Excitement and narcosis. They usually appear within half an hour to an hour after ingestion. The poison acts on the central nervous system causing first a stimulation and later a depression followed by narcosis.  Accordingly effects can be described in three stages- 1. Excitement 2. Stupor 3. Narcosis 1. Stage of excitement:-   This stage absent if the dose taken in large. laughter, hallucination, and rapid heart rate. 2. Stage of stupor:-   The stage of excitement is soon followed by headache, giddiness, weariness, a sense of weight in the limb, diminished sensibility and a strong te...

 Thallium is a soft white heavy metal with lustrous color which on exposure to air form thallus oxide. The metal and its compound are highly toxic. Eg- Thallium acetate, thallium sulphate, Theses salts being soluble, colorless and tasteless. Sign and symptoms:-   Symptoms may appear 12-36 hours from a toxic dose. They include abdomenal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Neurological symptoms include peripheral neuritis, impaired vision, Ataxia and convulsions, loss of hair may precede. Thallium poisoning should normally be suspended when there are gastrointestinal symptoms, polyneuritis and loss of hair from head, lateral 2/3 of the eyebrow and from axilla. And X-ray of the abdomen showing a high density of hepatic opacity is diagnostic. Fatal dose:- 1 gm Fatal period:- 2 days to 2 weeks. Treatment:-    Stomach wash should be used.

Introduction:- Metallic mercury also known as quick silver. It is a liquid metal with a bright silvery lustre. Source:- Mercuric chloric Sign and symptoms:- The symptoms commence soon after the poison is swallowed. The taste is metallic with a feeling constrintion in the throat, buring sensation from mouth to stomach and pain radiating over the abdomen. The mucus membrane appears greyish white. There a nausea with frequent vomiting of long stringy masses of white mucus. It may mixed with blood, painful tenesmus. Collapse sets in with cold clammy skin, pale anxious face, sunken eyes, dilated pupil, rapid feeble pulse, sighing respiration. Syncope, convulsions usually preceed death in a few hours.  If death is not rapid, salivation may developed, gums may become swollen and inflammed and the breath foul, looseling of teeth and ulcerated glossitis may follow. A renal lesion soon appears due to nephrotoxicity of mercury. Urine may contain albumin and blood. Fatal...

Toxicology:-            It is the science which deals with poisons with reference to their sources, properties, mode of action, symptoms which they produce, lethal dose, lethal period, Nature of the fatal results, treatment, method of their detection and estimation and autopsy finding.                                                  OR            Toxicology is the science which deals with toxins produced by plant, animal, bacteria and fungi which are harmful to man.

Poison:-   A poison is a substance which when administered inhaled or ingested is capable of acting deleteriously on the human body. Classification of poison:-   According to their mode of action poisons are classified in 6 groups- 1.     Corrosive poison 2.     Irritant poison 3.     Neurotic poison 4.     Cardiac poison 5.     Asphyxiants poison 6.     Miscellaneous poison 1.CORROSIVE POISON:-   A corrosive poison is simply a highly active irritant and not only produces inflammation but also actual ulcerate the tissue. This group include strong acid and alkalis. 2.IRRITANT POISON:-   This poison produces symptoms of pain in the abdomen, vomiting and purging. This group consist of inorganic, organic and mechanical substance. Corrosive in dilute solution act as irritant. 3.NEUROTIC POISON:-   Neurotic poison act chiefly on the nervous s...

  Phosphorous     It is a non-metallic poison. Phosphorous exists in two forms-       -white as crystalline       -  red as amorphous Phosphorus is a protoplasmic poison. It effects cellular oxidation, it effects on cellular metabolism is comparable to Ischaemia. Under such anoxic condition, the metabolism diminishes. This is known as necrobiosis. Sign and symptoms:-   There are two phases of symptoms primary, due to the local irritant action on the gastrointestinal tract and secondary, due to the action of the absorbed poison.   The primary symptoms usually occur within 2-6 hours. There is burning pain in the throat, esophagus and stomach with intense thirst, frequent gaseous eructation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea .     The patient may complain of garlic taste in the mouth and a garlic odor in the breath, the vomited matter is darkened by blood, smell of garlic, the faeces may be dark, ...

IRRITANT POISON     I rritant poisons are classified as – 1.     Inorganic poison (non-metal, metal) 2. Organic poison (vegetable and animal) 3.     Mechanical poison    Corrosive poison in very dilute solution act as irritants. Irritant poison cause symptoms of gastro enteritis. General symptoms and signs:-    The onset of symptom and sign which is variable is usually within half an hour to an hour- (i)Burning sensation in mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and abdomen. (ii) Intense thirst (iii) Difficulty in swallowing (iv) Painful vomiting and diarrahoea (v) Continuous retching (vi) Sighing respiration (vii) Cramping pain in the limbs. (viii) Conversions and coma may follow death may occur with in 24 hours from shock. (ix) Stricture of the esophagus may occur.

1.     Minerals acid- a.     Sulphuric acid b.     Nitric acid 2.     Alkalis- a.     Soda and caustic potash b.     Ammonium hydroxide Mineral acid and caustic potash      Mineral acid and strong alkalis are corrosive poison. In dilute solution, they are act as irritant. Their action is mainly a local one on the tissue of the elementary track and to some extent on the respiratory track. General symptoms and signs:-   The onset of symptom is immediate soon after swallowing the poison there is – (i)Burning sensation in the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and abdomen. (ii) Intense thirst (iii) Difficulty in swallowing (iv) Continuously retching and vomiting of shreddy blood stained material. (v) There are sign of corrosion of mouth, lips or both. (vi) The tongue is swollen or shriveled. (vii) Bowel tends to be constipated and the urine is scan...

METALLIC POISON               The important poison in this group- 1.Arsenic 2. Mercury (para) OR Quick silver 3. lead – shisha 4. Copper- Tamba – Blue vitriol 5. Thallium 6. Zinc – white vitriol 1.     Arsenic poison Introduction:-    Arsenic is a grey substance which is said to be non-poisonous as it is insoluble in water and therefore cannot be absorbed from the alimentary canal, it change arsenous oxide. Which tasteless and very poisonous. Source of Arsenic:- The elements or its derivatives are met with in industry and agriculture. Sign and Symptoms:-   Symptom in acute poisoning usually manifest within 15-30minutes after the dose. There is – (i)Nausea and Burning pain in the esophagus, stomach and epigastrium. (ii) Severe, continuous and persistent vomiting follows. Vomit may mixed with mucus and blood. (iii) The main affect is diarrhea with tenesmus a...