CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3634, 9 October 1890, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Is thoro an tatiAoto for Strychnine ? (To tho Editor.) Sir—l saw in the Daily that there was no known antidote for strychnine, Lard is an antidote, Some fifty or more years ago, I read in " Household Words," or "All the Year Round," I forget which, that in a certain large provision shop in London they were very much troubled with dogs, and they used to lay pieces of meat poisoned with strychnine, The persons in tho .shop noticed that if the dogs ate lard just i before or directly after taking the poison, it took no effect. Now I will give you my own experience. Some eighteen years ago I had a very valuable terrier slut, My children were taking it to hunt rabbits, I told them not to go near a certain place, as Upe was poison laid there for hawks. They disobeyed me, and presently camo back and told me the dog had eaten all the poison, three pieces, each sufficient to kill the largest dog. While they were talking to me the dog went into a convulsive fit. I then remembered the lard, and got my wife to v/arm somo, about |lb or fib, so that it would run like water, I held the dog between my knees, and forced its mouth open and held a stick botween its teeth, while my wife poured tho lard into its mouth, and made it swallow tho lard. I then put the dog into a box on some straw. It had several more fits, but each one was weaker than tho last, After about an hour it lapped milk and seemed all right, except that it was as stiff and rigid as a board. The next day it could walk about straight legged, but was very stiff, its body feeling as hard as a piece of wood. It could eat, or drink, all right, but the following day it was as yell as eyer, You cannot poison a pig with strychnine, unloss it is a very large quantity, say sufljeient to kill twenty or more dogs, I knew one pig to oat fifteen pieces, and it only made her feel queer for "an hour or two, and there was nothing done to her, If anything takes, strychnine (the whole crystals) upon a full stomach it may be iin hour or two before it takes effect, but if the crystals aro pounded'up mto a fine powder aqd takon on an empty stonjacli it will take effect aqd death ensue in frqm tei] minutes' to quai'teVof an te.' Tl]'o only thing that I am doubtful about iq the case of the human being taking stryohnino is whether they will be able to retain 111? laril in the stomach. It might aot as an emetic, alii! without it could bo kopt down, I don't think it would ho any good,-I am, eto. ' : A Subscriber,