CHAP. XXXVII. Of Mineral Poysons.
MInerals or metals are either so taken forth of the bowels of the earth, or else from for∣naces. Of these many are poisonous, as arsenick, sublimate, plaster, ceruss, litharge, ver∣degrease, orpiment, filings of Iron, brass, the load-stone, lime and the like. Such as have taken sublimate, the tongue and jaws become straitned and rough, as if they had drunk the juice of unripe services: you cannot amend this asperity with lenitive gargarisms but with labour and time; for assoon as it descends into the stomach, it sticketh to it. Therefore presently after it, frets and exulcerates; it causeth unquenchable thirst, and unexplicable torments; the tongue is swoln, the heart faints, the urine is supprest, the chest can scarce perform the office of breathing, the bel∣ly is griped, and so great pains happen to other extreme parts, that unless they be helped, the patient will die; for presently will grow upon them, unless it be speedily hindered, the devouring and fiery fury of the poyson, rending or eating into the guts and stomach, as if they were feared with an hot iron, and blood floweth out of the ears, nose, mouth, urinary passage and fundament, and then their case is desperate. These and who else soever shall take any corroding poyson, shall be cured with the same remedies, as those that have taken Caentharides.
Verdegreas so stops the instruments of respiration that it strangles such as have taken it. The cure is performed by the same remedies as help those that have taken Arsenick.
Litharge causeth a heaviness in the stomach, suppresseth urine, makes the body swelled and li∣vid. We remedy this, by giving a vomit presently, then after it pigeons-dung mixed in strong wine and so drunken. Peter Aponensis wisheth, to give oil of sweet almonds and figs. Also it is good to give relaxing and humecting glysters, and to annoint the belly with fresh butter, or oil of lillies.
The scales of Brass drunk, by troubling the stomach, cause a casting and scouring. The remedy is, if the patient forthwith vomit, if he enter into a bath made of the decoction of Snails, if he an∣noint his belly and brest with butter or oil of lillies, and inject laxative and humecting glysters.
The Load-stone makes them mad that take it inwardly. The Antidote thereof is the powder of gold and an emerald drunk in strong wine, and glysters of milk and oil of sweet almonds.
The filings of Lead, and the scales or refuse of Iron, cause great torment to such as take them down. The which we help with much milk and fresh butter dissolved therein, or with oil of sweet almonds drawn without fire, with relaxing and humecting glysters used untill the pain be per∣fectly asswaged.
Risagallum, Rose-aker or Rats-bane, because it is of a most hot and dry nature, induces thirst and heat over all the body, and so great colliquation of all the humors, that although the patients by medicines speedily given escape death, yet can they not during the residue of their lives, use their members as they formerly did, being destitute of their strength, by reason of the great driness and contraction of the joints. The Antidote thereof is oil of Pine-kernels speedily given, and that to the quantity of half a pinte; then procure vomit, then give much milk to drink, and glysters of the same, and let them sup up fat broths.
Unquencht. Lime and Auripigmentum, or Orpiment drunk, gnaw the stomach and guts with great tormenting pain, and cause unquenchable thirst, an asperity of the jaws and throat, difficulty of breathing, stopping of the urine, and a bloody flux. They may be helped by oil, fat, humecting, and relaxing things which retund the acrimony by lenitive potions, and such as lubricate the belly; as also by creams, and the mucilages of some seeds, as with a decoction of the seeds of Line, mal∣lows, marsh-mallows and other such things set down at large in the cure of Cantharides.
These exceeding acrid and strong waters wherewith Gold-smiths and Chymists separate gold from silver, being taken into the body, are hard to cure, because they are forthwith diffused over all the body, first burning the throat and stomach. Yet it may be helped by the means prescribed against unquenched Lime and Orpiment.
Ceruss causeth hicketting and a cough, makes the tongue dry, and the extreme parts of the bo∣dy numme with cold, the eies heavy to sleep. The patients very often in the midst of the day see some vain phantasie or apparition, which indeed is nothing; they make a black and oftentimes bloody water, they die strangled unless they be helped. The Antidote, in the opinion of Aetius and Avicen, is Scammony drunk in new wine, or hony and wine, and other diuretick things, and such things as procure vomit, and purge by stool.