Abstract
DR. G. ROCHE LYNCH delivered the thirtieth Bedson Lecture in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on May 16. After a brief outline of the history of poisoning from ancient times up to the beginning of scientific investigation with Marsh, about a century ago, and Stas in 1850, Dr. Roche Lynch discussed the general characteristics of poisons. With the exception of a few of animal origin, like snake venom and certain serums, tolerance toward all poisons increases with repeated small doses; narcotics, alkaloids, metals and even castor oil. This seems to be due to growing immunity of the cells as well as to increased rate of excretion or destruction. In general, detoxication takes place mainly in the liver with increasing efficiency, the processes seeming to be developments of natural responses. Quite large amounts of the heavy metals have been found, lead up to 146 parts per million being demonstrated in normal bone where no industrial or similar causative contact had occurred. Difficulty arises with the modern synthetic medicinals; they have often only a narrow margin between the medicinal and the toxic doses and have little allowance for idiosyncrasy. Many of them are completely destroyed, or changed in the tissues into something else in a short time. The barbituric acid group are particularly dangerous, and should be brought under regulation. They are all hypnotics, but their behaviour from a toxicological point of view is very different. Some of these compounds are almost completely destroyed in the body, so that analysis only reveals a trace, and others are readily found in considerable quantity both in the excreta and in the organs. Opinion therefore as to the cause of death must depend on the type of barbiturate present and the amount isolated. Dr. Lynch then dealt in greater detail with arsenic, strychnine and carbon monoxide, illustrating his remarks with references to, and exhibits from, famous criminal cases.
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Poisons and their Detection. Nature 135, 921–922 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135921c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135921c0