This document discusses toxicology and forensic toxicology. It defines toxicology as the study of poisons and forensic toxicology as examining legal aspects of toxicity. A forensic toxicologist analyzes methods to detect and estimate poisons in the body that may be involved in crimes. Poisons are classified as inorganic, organic, or biological based on their source, and as corrosives, irritants, neurotics, etc. based on their actions. Factors like dose, route of administration, and the body's condition affect a poison's effects. Poison diagnosis involves history, signs/symptoms, examinations, and analyzing vomit, excreta, or body fluids. Laws govern possession and control of poisons.

1. TOXICOLOGY

2. INTRODUCTION
• Toxicology – study of poisons
• Forensic toxicology - examination of all aspects of toxicity that may have legal
distinctions
• Branch of medical science which deals with poisons wrt their sources,
character and properties.
• Forensic toxicologist deals with the analytical methods of detection and
estimations of poisons in the body.
• Poisons are involved in crimes like homicidal, accidental, suicidal death.

3. IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES
• Toxicology
• Poison
• Drug
• Clinical Toxicology
• Toxinology: refers to the toxins produced by living organisms (eg. snake
venom etc.)
• Acute poisoning: When there are onset of symptoms, leading to death
• Chronic Poisoning: Smaller doses over a period of time
• Fulminant poisoning: No onset of symptoms, person dies almost
immediately

4. CLASSIFICATION
• Inorganic Poisons: a metal, non-metal element (eg. arsenic, antimony, lead
salts, strong alkali)
• Organic Poisons: synthetic drugs, petroleum products, insecticides, pesticides
etc.
• Biological Poisons: plant & animal based (opium, cocaine, cannabis resin etc.)

5. CLASSIFICATIONS (ACTION)
• Corrosives
• Irritants
• Neurotics
• Cardiac
• Asphyxiants
• Miscellaneous

6. CORROSIVES
• Produces inflammation and ulceration of the tissues.
• Strong acids- Sulphuric acid, Nitric acid, Hydrochloric acid.
• Strong Alkalis- Caustic Soda, caustic potash etc.

7. IRRITANTS
• Produces symptoms like pain in abdomens, vomiting and purging.
• Inorganic- Non metallic (phosphorous, chlorine, bromine, iodine and boron) &
Metallic ( Arsenic, antimony, mercury, lead, copper, thallium, zinc, radioactive
substances etc.)
• Organic- Vegetable poisons (castor oil seeds, croton oil, marking nut, ergot
etc) & Animal poison ( scorpions, snakes, spiders, poisonous insects etc.)

8. NEUROTICS
• Acts mainly on nervous system.
• Includes all alkaloidal poisons.
• Symptoms includes headache, drowsiness, giddiness, delirium, coma and
sometimes paralysis.
• Group consist of poison having specific actions on the cerebrum, spinal cord,
& peripheral nerves.
• Cerebrum- mainly act on cerebral. Includes narcotics like opium and its derivatives.
• Spinal- acts on spinal cord includes nux vomica, gelsemium etc.
• Peripheral- acts on peripheral nerves, includes curare and conium.

9. CARDIAC
• Poisons acting on the heart.
• Includes digitalis, oleander, aconite and tob.

10. ASPHYXIANTS
• Acts on lungs.
• Includes irrespirable gases such as coal gas, carbon monoxide, sewer gas,
carbon dioxide etc.

11. MISCELLANEOUS
• Having widely different action.
• Includes analgesics, phenacetin, tranquillisers such as chlorpromazine,
meprobamate, antidepressantsm like tricyclic conpounds, stimulants like
amphetamine, hallucinogens such as LSD,peyote etc.

12. SOURCES OF POISON
• Domestic or household sources - In domestic environment poisoning may
more commonly occur from detergents, disinfectants, cleaning agents,
antiseptics, insecticides, rodenticides etc.
• Agricultural and horticultural sources- different insecticides, pesticides,
fungicides and weed killers.
• Industrial sources- In factories, where poisons are manufactured or poisons
are produced as by products.
• Commercial sources- From store-houses, distribution centers and selling
shops.
• From uses as drugs and medicines – Due to wrong medication,
overmedication and abuse of drugs.

13. • Food and drink – contamination in way of use of preservatives of food grains
or other food material, additives like coloring and odouring agents or other
ways of accidental contamination of food and drink.
• Miscellaneous sources- snakes bite poisoning, city smoke, sewer gas
poisoning etc

14. ROUTES OF ADMINISTRATION
• By mouth
• By injection- intramuscular, intravenous, into bone marrow etc.
• By inhalation
• External application on wounds.

15. FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFECTS OF POISONS
• Dose
• Form of poison
• Physical state- gases and vapors acts quickly than fluid poisons because they are
absorbed immediately. Fluid poisons acts quickly than solid ones.
• Chemical combination- solubility or insolubility decide the toxic effect.

16. • Method of Administration- A poison acts rapidly when inhaled in gaseous or
vaporous form and when injected intravenously, and least rapidly when
swallowed.
(Snake venom is highly dangerous when injected but is harmless when ingested,
Cocaine when injected acts as a local anesthetic and if swallowed acts as
poison)
• Condition of the body-Age, Health, Sleep or Intoxication (the bodily functions
are at their lowest metabolic level during sleep and intoxication, therefore the
action of poison is delayed if a person goes to sleep after taking it or takes the
poison in an intoxicated condition)

17. DIAGNOSIS OF POISONING
• In the Living
• History of the case as stated by the patient himself and his/her relatives or friend.
Full information about time of onset of the present illness, Initial symptoms,
progress, relation with food, condition of other persons taking same food or drink,
possible source, any previous history of poisoning, H/o depression, quarrel. Also
noted is the color, smell, consistency, taste and quantity of the possible poisonous
substance.
• Signs and symptoms.
• Details of examination.
• Preservation and laboratory investigation of vomit, excreta, stomach wash, scraps
from any stains area on the body, blood, stained part of the clothes, contents of a
doubtful container, left over any part of food or drink.

18. • In the Dead:
• History of the case as stated by police or relatives ( how long the victim survived
after initial symptoms & any treatment).
• Post-mortem Examination (external and internal)
• Chemical Analysis: detection of poison in the body fluids.
• Preservation of viscera and other material for lab. Examination.

19. PRESERVATION OF VISCERA AND OTHER MATERIALS
• In all cases of poisoning
• Stomach with its full contents.
• Half of Liver or 500 gms whichever is more.
• A loop of small intestine.
• Half of each kidney.
• Some portion of spleen

20. LEGISLATION OF POISON
• Sec. 284 IPC- Punishment for careless handling of poisonous substances.
• Sec 299, 302, 304A, 306, 307, 309, 324, 326, 328 & 498A deals with offences
relating to administration of such substances.
• Possession, sale and control of poison are governed by the poison act 1919,
NDPS act 1985, pharmacy act 1948 & the drugs and magic remedies act 1954.

21. TOXICOLOGY OF ALCOHOL
• Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol, is a liquid normally diluted with
water and consumed as a beverage.
• Factors such as time taken to consume the drink, the
alcohol content, the amount consumed, and food present
in the stomach determine the rate at which alcohol is
absorbed.

22. BREATH TESTERS
• Breath testers that operate on the principle of infrared
light .
• Many types of breath testers are designed to capture a set
volume of breath.
• The captured breath is exposed to infrared light.
• It’s the degree of the interaction of the light with alcohol in
the captured breath sample that allows the instrument to
measure a blood alcohol concentration in breath

23. CHROMATOGRAPHY TESTING
• Chromatography offers the toxicologist the most widely used
approach for determining alcohol levels in blood.
• Blood must always be drawn under medically accepted
conditions by a qualified individual.
• It is important that a nonalcoholic disinfectant be applied before
the suspect’s skin is penetrated with a sterile needle or lancet.
• Once blood is removed from an individual, its preservation is
best ensured when it is sealed in an airtight container after an
anticoagulant and a preservative have been added and stored in
a refrigerator.