1. "Prussic acid mentioned"
Posted by Stefani on Jul-28th-02 at 10:39 PM

I just finished a book on Jack the Ripper titled The Last Victim: The Extraordinary Life of Florence Maybrick, the Wife of Jack the Ripper and there was a curious mention of prussic acid.

Mr. James Maybrick (supposed author of the Ripper Diary) was an arsenic eater. Maybrick takes a medicine which turns out to be a large dose of strychnine and takes ill.

"By the time Dr. Humphreys eventually arrived at 11 a.m., Maybrick was complaining of palpitations in his heart and had convinced himself that he was on the verge of paralysis.

Although Dr. Humphreys had visited Battlecrease many times in the past, he had never attended James as a patient.  . . .  Humphreys prescribed some dilute prussic acid and advised James to drink nothing but soda water and milk that day. Over the following few days he visited his patient on a number of occasions, consequently coming to the conclusion that Maybrick was an acute dyspeptic and advising him on a new diet."

This is the first time I have read Prussic Acid used as a medicine.

Well this certainly is an interesting thread as we all know quite well that prussic acid a.k.a hydrogen cyanide, is a lethal substance if taken internally in any dose.

We can gather from our many readings that in a diluted form, perhaps as little as 1% in 99% H20 the solution may be useful as a fumigation material for mites and other critters in seal skin capes.

But nevha, nevha is prussic acid taken internally lest one succumbs to instant death. 

Howevha...there is one possible twist to the above mentioned tale from "Jack the Ripper"...it is, though I have yet to confirm it, the slight chance that in a weakened highly diluted solution, say far less than 1% in water it may have been used to **counteract** the styrichnine or arsenic taken orally.

Just as in today's modern Emergency Rooms nurses and doctors pour liquid charcoal down the throats of patients who have overdosed on certain poisions that can't be diluted with vomiting (which would cause further damage to the esphoegus on the return trip).

To the best of my ability this is the only explaining I can do for the administration of 'prussic acid' diluted when combined with soda water.

I'm not a doctor but I did see one once...

BC

I have an extensive set of textbooks dealing with all varieties of poisons (don't ask). I agree with Bob Cook. I can't picture any scenario where prussic acid would be administerd internally, no matter how small the dosage.

I'm not a doctor.  But I played one once on TV.

(Message last edited Jul-30th-02  6:38 PM.)

The doctor who prescribed the prussic acid did not know that Maybrick was an arsenic eater or had taken strychnine earlier.

I am curious what "acute dyspeptic" is, and why that particular malady would make a doctor presecribe that particular poison as a means to a cure.

What is "acute dyspeptic"? bad stomach ache?

"Acute dyspepsia" means severe indigestion.  I guess prussic acid would cure that! 

I'm not a doctor, but I dated one once.