Antidotes( 2002)

Antidotes

Cover illustration: Ceremonial preparation of Theriac in Strasbourg at the beginning of the sixteenth century (hand-coloured woodcut from Hieronymus Brunschwig’s Liber de arte distillandi, 1512) (courtesy of the Deutscher Apotheker Verlag, Stuttgart).

Antidotes
Robert J Flanagan PhD FRCPath
Consultant Biochemist

Alison L Jones MD FRCP(E)
Consultant Physician andConsultant Clinical Toxicologist

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust, London

With a section on Antidotes and Chemical Warfare by Timothy C Marrs MD DSc FATS MRCP FRCPath Food Standards Agency and Robert L Maynard CBE MRCP FRCPath Department of Health, London

London and New York

First published 2001 by Taylor & Francis 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA andCanada by Taylor & Francis Inc, 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Taylor & Francis is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002. © 2001 Robert J Flanagan, Alison L Jones All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known orhereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice and information in this book is true and accurate at the time of going to press. However, neither the publishers nor the authors can accept any legal responsibility or liability for anyerrors or omissions that may be made. In the case of drug administration, any medical procedure or the use of technical equipment mentioned within this book, you are strongly advised to consult the manufacturer’s guidelines. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Acatalog record for this book has been requested.

ISBN 0–748–40965–3 (Print Edition) ISBN 0-203-48507-6 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-79331-5 (Adobe eReader Format)

[Hermes to Odysseus] Look; here is a drug of real virtue that you must take with you into Circe’s palace to save yourself from disaster. But I must explain how she works her black magic. She will begin by mixing you a pottage, intowhich she will put her poison. But even with its help she will be unable to enchant you, for this antidote that I am going to give you and describe will rob it of its power. When Circe strikes you with her long wand, you must draw your sword from your side and rush at her as though you meant to take her life. She will shrink from you in terror and invite you to her bed. Nor must you hesitate toaccept the goddess’ favours, if you want her to free your men and treat you kindly. But make her swear a solemn oath by the blessed gods not to try on you any more of her tricks, or when she has you stripped she may rob you of your courage and your manhood. Then the Giant-killer handed me a herb he had plucked from the ground, and showed me what it was like. It had a black root and milk-whiteflower. The gods call it Moly, and it is an awkward plant to dig up, at any rate for a mere man. But the gods, can do anything. Homer, The Odyssey. Translated by EV Rieu. London: Penguin Books, 1946, p. 163

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PREFACE FOREWORD ANTIDOTE NOMENCLATURE AND DOSAGE LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER 1 General Introduction CHAPTER 2 Agents Used to Treat Poisoning with Toxic Metals andOrganometallic Compounds CHAPTER 3 Immunotherapy CHAPTER 4 Metabolic Antidotes CHAPTER 5 Pharmacological Antidotes CHAPTER 6 Antidotes to Carbon Monoxide, Cyanide and Hydrogen Sulphide CHAPTER 7 Antidotes to Chemical Warfare Agents CHAPTER 8 Antidotal Treatment of Paraquat Poisoning CHAPTER 9 Antidote Interference in Toxicological Analyses APPENDIX 1 Which Antidote for Which Poison? APPENDIX 2...