Chemical Findings in Poisonings

Abstract

ALL who must decide whether the amount of toxic material in a specimen is sufficient to have caused death are aware of the difficulty of finding information to guide their decision. This article is intended only to serve as a guide. It must be recognized that individual responses to overdoses of drugs and poisons will vary greatly. "What's one man's poison, is another's meat or drink." A toxicologic analysis will never take the place of an autopsy followed by chemical analysis. In some obvious cases a determination of alcohol, carbon monoxide or barbiturate may be all that is necessary to . . .