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Unidentified photographer/creator
Fatal Case of Poisoning by Sulphuric Acidà
1852, May
Magazine page
Google Books
LL/35198
Canada Medical Jopurnal (Montreal), Vol.I, No.3, May, 1852,p.131.
"ART. XIII. Fatal Case of Poisoning by Sulphuric Acid, with Observations", by James Sewell, M. D., Physician to the Hotel Dieu, Quebec.
A Sad case, possessing more than usual interest, both from the poison selected, and the quantity swallowed, having recently occurred in my practice, I think it my duty to submit its history to the Profession.
Mrs, E., aged 23, the mother of two children, had about three weeks since suffered a miscarriage, which left her feeble and nervous. In this state, more easily acted upon by depressing causes, she heard a sermon the effects of which on her mind (according to her own statement to me) she could not throw off; she fancied herself without the pale of salvation her soul condemned and lost in fact, she became insane with this predominant idea. In this state she remained, with some shades of variation, until Monday the 16th of February; her husband had been repeatedly warned that she would probably attempt to commit suicide, and he fortunately arrived in time to prevent her committing it by suspension on the Friday previous to the fatal accomplishment of her purpose. Her husband's business led him to the employment of Tincture of Bromine, Iodine, and other poisonous materials; these he had carefully disposed of beyond her reach. A day or two before the sad affair, he bought at a Druggist's one pound by weight of concentrated sulphuric acid, which shews about 5 fluid drachms to the oz.; he poured the whole of this into two large tumblers, dividing the quantity equally to form what these Artists call "a battery," by which they galvanize the silvered plates, previous to submitting them to the vapour of iodine in the production of daguerreotype likenesses; he had placed, as I have said, the Bromine and Iodine, &c, under lock, but, never suspecting the probability of her using this powerful acid for the purpose of self-destruction, he took no precaution with it. She was absent from her usual sitting apartment about 3 o'clock, P. M., of the 16th February, for somewhat less than two minutes, but she had time to effect her purpose, an she told him on returning to the room; on instant examination he found that she had emptied one of the tumblers of its contents, except about 1/2 a fluid oz., and the already excoriated state of her mouth and chin fearfully corroborated her story.
Assistance was quickly sought, and, on my arrival, finding that the stomach-pump had been imperfectly used, I re-introduced it. At this time about 40 minutes had elapsed since the acid had been swallowed. I found her pale and perfectly collapsed, cold skin, no pulse at the wrists, and the action of the heart feeble and indistinct. The first effect of the poison had been to prostrate all the powers of life nearly to extinction. Milk and oil were first injected into the stomach and quickly withdrawn, but the appearance presented, destroyed all hope; it was dark, grumous looking blood, mixed with a shred like filamentous substance. Oil, chalk, and carbonate of magnesia were freely used, with a view to neutralize the acid or blunt its action. Some re-action came on in about an hour, when her sufferings became dreadful to witness; she could scarcely be held in bed, her mind had cleared at once, and "she wondered what could have made her do it," and then "she was burning alive," were expressions incessantly uttered; she could, and did, swallow every thing that was offered to her, till delirium and coma closed the scene.
The body was carefully examined the next day, about 20 hours after death, and it is quite a hopeless task to give an adequate idea, by any description, of what we saw. The whole of the forepart of the stomach, that is, its greater curvature was destroyed, and fluid of the same appearance as that drawn up by the first action of the stomach pump, was on the surface of the intestines, and welled up from amongst their convolutions. The omentum was to a great extent in shreds, the back part of the stomach was likewise injured and look charred, but in a less degree, the food, (and she had dined heartily at noon,) was pushed toward, and lay at and near, the Pylorus. I apprehend, that the mass of food prevented the immediate contact of the acid, and thus accounted for its different state of disorganization; the great arch of the colon, where in contact with the stomach and omentum, was in some trifling degree affected. The stomach was literally dissolved in Sulphuric Acid; one or two drops from the scalpel fell upon some linen, and a hole, through which the finger could be thrust, was quickly made, showing how active this powerful acid still was. Doubtless the acid had continued to destroy the texture of all parts itcame in contact with. Even after death, but much of the disorganization, that we witnessed, had been effected by this destructive agent in the three hours that intervened between the time of her swallowing it, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. the hour she died.
It is pretty evident, that no plan of treatment could have been adopted in this sad case with any chance of success, either with a view to withdraw the acid before it had time to work irreparable injury, or to neutralize it. There was a well marked excoriation at each angle of the mouth and beneath the chin, much more apparent after death. The inside of the mouth and lips were of a dead white, as if burnt by a hot iron.
It would have been interesting to have examined the fauces oespohagus, &c, but it could not be done. I am indebted to Drs. Boswell and Painchaud for their assistance upon this sad occasion.
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