Assignment

1. Give the meaning of the following evidence of poisoning.

a. circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to
a conclusion of fact Such as a GAS contamination that live a significant
portion of a gas in the scene

b. symptomatic evidence
The evidence which produce the out come of poisoning, Such as the
affect of it in the body of a person and may be visible on the eye of a person.
and can be visible through examination.

c. chemical evidence
Chemical evidence can be any chemicals found on people, various objects, or
in solutions, generated as part of a crime and recovered at the scene or a
related locations.

d. postmortem evidence
A post-mortem examination, also known as an autopsy, is the
examination of a body after death. The aim of a post-mortem is to determine
the cause of death. Post-mortems are carried out by pathologists (doctors
who specialise in understanding the nature and causes of disease). in
specifically postmortem evidence in poisoning contain internal examination
and The importance of internal examination in case of poisoning or toxin
related death is to rule out natural disease processes. The findings of internal
examination can also make helps correlate the symptoms produced by the
poison or toxins.

e. experimental evidence
Experimental evidence is comprised of observations generated under
controlled conditions rather than through other empirical research methods.
By specific in poison, animal is the subject to take the amount of poison and
automatically the result of it is can be similar when a human is subject to it as
a experimental method.

2. What are the methods of examination used in forensic toxicology?

The Marsh test is a highly sensitive method in the detection of arsenic,

especially useful in the field of forensic toxicology when arsenic was used as
a poison. 

Forensic toxicology is a modern scientific field which involves the use

of different analytical techniques like laser diode thermal desorption-tandem
mass spectrometry (LDTD-MS-MS),1 Hyphenated liquid chromatographic
techniques,2 Chromatography by silica-gel chromatobars,3 Ultra-high
performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,4 DNA
typing,5 and capillary electrophoresis.6 Forensic findings through these
techniques may include the determination of pesticides, drugs, natural
products, industrial chemicals, metals and pollutants. A toxicological analysis
can be done to various kinds of samples procured from subjects under
investigation. Blood, urine, nails, hair, bile, gastric contents, liver and brain
tissue can all be useful specimens. There is a gradual increase in the demand
of modern analytical techniques involved in forensic toxicology in solving
disputes.

3. What are the contributions of Paracelsus and Matthieu Orfila in the

history of modern toxicology?

Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila (1787–1853), often called the

"Father of Toxicology," was the first great 19th-century exponent of forensic
medicine. Orfila worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensic
medicine, and made studies of asphyxiation, the decomposition of bodies,
and exhumation. He helped to develop tests for the presence of blood in a
forensic context and is credited as one of the first people to use a microscope
to assess blood and semen stains. He also worked to improve public health
systems and medical training.

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-

1541), who called himself Paracelsus, is the man who pioneered the use of
minerals and other chemicals in medicine. Mercury, lead, arsenic and
antimony—poisons to most—were cures in his view.

Paracelsus introduced the use of chemical substances, such as

minerals, into medicine. Paracelsus theorized the constitution of matter based
on three elements: Sulphur, salt and mercury. Paracelsus emphasized the
importance of dosing in distinguishing between toxicity and treatment.

4. What are the 4 elements of poisoning

Poisoning involves four elements: the poison, the poisoned organism,
the injury to the cells, and the symptoms and signs or death. These four
elements represent the cause, subject, effect, and consequence of poisoning.

5. What are the classifications of poisons based on origin

Classification based on origin

Poisons are of microbial, plant, animal, or synthetic origin. Microbial poisons

are produced by microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi.

6. What is solubility of the drugs

Solubility is the ability for a drug to be dissolved in an aqueous
medium. Drug solubility is defined as the maximum concentration of a
substance that can be completely dissolved in a given solvent at a certain
temperature and pressure level.

7. Give the meaning of the following antidotes

a. emetics
Emetic agents are a class of medications used to induce nausea and vomiting
for the emergency treatment of poisoning with certain toxins that have been
swallowed. Although its use is now discouraged, the most commonly used
drug for this purpose is ipecac syrup.

b. Cathartic

a purgative drug.

Catharsis and cathartic both trace to the Greek word kathairein,

meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Catharsis entered English as a medical term
having to do with purging the body—and especially the bowels—of unwanted
material.

In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation.

This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that eases defecation,
usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative
and a cathartic.

c. demulcent

a substance that relieves irritation of the mucous membranes in the

mouth by forming a protective film. Demulcents are sometimes referred to as
mucoprotective agents. Demulcents such as pectin, glycerin, honey, and
syrup are common ingredients in cough mixtures and cough drops.
Methylcellulose, propylene glycol, and glycerine are synthetic demulcents.

d. precipitants
The precipitant drug was defined as the medication responsible for
affecting the pharmacologic action or the pharmacokinetic properties of the
object drug.