TOXICOLOGY

WEEK 6-8
TOXICOLOGY
The science of poisons
The study of adverse effects of chemicals
on living organisms
Concerns the chemical and physical
properties of poisons, their physiological
or behavioral effects on living organisms,
qualitative and quantitative methods of
their analysis and the development of
procedures for the treatment of poisoning
IMPORTANCE OF TOXICOLOGY
To verify if it is a case of poisoning
To be able to treat as the occasion
demands
To forward justice
OCCUPATIONAL TOXICOLOGY

Applies the principles

and methodology of
toxicology to chemical
and biological hazards
encountered at work
Definitions of Terms Used in Toxicology
1. TOXICITY – the degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison)
can harm human or animals
3 KINDS OF TOXICITY:
a.Acute – involves harmful effects in an organisms through a
single or short term exposure
b.Subchronic – ability of a toxic substance to cause effects for
more than one year but less than the lifetime of the
exposed organism
c.Chronic – is the ability of a substance or mixture of
substances to cause harmful effects over an extended
period, usually upon repeated or continuous exposure,
sometimes lasting for the entire life of the exposed
organisms
Low toxicity must be ingested in large amounts
for them to have toxic effects (ex: ethyl alcohol,
sodium chloride)

High toxicity even on a small amount is sufficient

to cause severe damage to the body (ex: Black
Widow Spider)
Definitions of Terms Used in Toxicology
2. TOXICANT – toxic substances that are human
made or result from human (anthropogenic)
activity

3. TOXIN – refers to the toxic substance made by

living organism
a. systemic toxin – affects the entire body or
multiple organ system
b. target organ toxins – affect the specific parts
of the body
Examples of plants that are toxic:
 some mushrooms (death cap)
Poison hemlock
Foxglove
Poison ivy
Rhubarb
Some house plants (dieffenbachia)
History of Modern Toxicology

PARACELCUS (16TH CENTURY) – German Swiss

physician/ alchemist first stressed the chemical
nature of poison 7 its action by experimentation.
He introduced the dose concept.

PROF. MATTHIEU ORFILA (19TH CENTURY) –

attending physician to LOUIS XVIII correlated
chemistry of toxins with the biological effects it
produces in the poisoned individual
POISON
It is a substance that when
introduced into or absorbed by
a living organisms causes death
or injury
Types of Poison
1. TRUE POISON – is the one that still poisons no
matter how diluted it is (Ex: Hydrogen Cyanide
HCN)
2. CORROSIVE POISON – is one which by contact
with it chemically produces local destruction of
tissues (Ex: Nitric Acid HNO3, Mercuric Chloride-
Acid)
3. CUMULATIVE POISON – is one that increases
suddenly in its intensity of action after gradual
additions of it (Ex: Digitalis, Arsenic)
Four Elements of Poisoning

1.Poison
2.The poisoned organism
3.The injury to the cells
4.The symptoms & the sign of death
Classification of Poisons
1. CLASSIFICATION BASED ON ORIGIN:

a) ANIMAL/TOXIN - poison produced by living organism

stimulating antibodies usually transferred through bites and
stings
b) VEGETABLE - poison ivy and jimsonweed plant
c) MINERAL – hydrochloric acid, acoustic alkali
d) MICROBIAL – produced by microscopic organisms (ex:
bacteria / fungi)
e) SYNTHETIC – manufactured by chemists such as drugs,
pesticides as well as chemical purified from natural sources
such as metals from ores and solvents from gasoline
Classification of Poisons
2. ACCORDING TO CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:

a) INORGANIC POISON – poison without carbon

i. Votile – ex: bromine, chlorine, & iodine
ii. Non-votile – ex: sulfuric acid
iii. Mineral acid – hydrochloric acid
iv. Mineral alkalis – sodium hydroxide
Classification of Poisons

b) ORGANIC POISON – poison with carbon

i. Votile – ex: alcohol, chloroform
ii. Alkaloid – nitrogenous organic basic compound
with bitter taste containing usually oxygen that
occurs especially in seed plants
iii. Animal – ex: snake venom
iv. Bacterial – ex: plomaine
v. Organic – ex: salicylic acid
vi. Glucosides – ex: digitalis
Classification of Poisons
3. ACCORDING TO PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION:

a) CORROSIVES – by direct contact, chemically

produces local destruction of tissues (ex: phenol,
HCI, caustic soda (NaOH), HNO3

b) IRRITANTS – by direct contact this poison

inflames the mucous membrane or the parts it
comes in contact with resulting to nausea,
vomiting, pain & diarrhea (ex: bromine, chloride
, cotton oil)
Classification of Poisons
c) NEUROTICS – those that affect the central nervous
system
i. Cerebral Neurotics (Narcotics) – inducing drowsiness,
sleep stupor, complete or incomplete insensibility or
loss of feeling (ex: alcohol, opium, tobacco)
ii. Spinal Neurotics (Tetanics) – a poison that act on the
spinal cord producing spasmodic or continuous
contractions of muscles resulting in stiffness of the
parts to which they are attached (ex: strychinine,
picrotoxin)
Classification of Poisons
iii. Ceberospinal Neurotics
1. Deliriants – are poisons that act on the brain causing
disorder of mental functions resulting to confusion of
free will (ex: cannabis indica, cocaine)
2. Depressants – a substance that depress or retard the
physiological action of an organ (ex: antipyrine,
lobella)

d) AESTHETICS / EXHAUSTIVE – poisons that cause

marked loss of vital or muscular power or
general weakness (ex: aconite, KCN, digitalis)
Two Types of Poisoning
1. FROM MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW
a. ACUTE – one that there is prompt & marked
disturbance of function or death within a
short period of time
b. SUB-ACUTE – cases of short duration &
extreme violence
c. CHRONIC – has gradual deterioration of
function of tissues & may or may not result in
death
Two Types of Poisoning
2. FROM LEGAL POINT OF VIEW
a. ACCIDENTAL - poison was taken without intention
to cause death
b. SUICIDAL – those in which the victim voluntarily for
the purpose of taking his own life took the poison
c. HOMICIDAL – those in which the poison was given
willfully and with intent to cause death to the
victim
d. UNDETERMINED – those in which the history is hazy
as to how the poison was obtained & why it was
administered
Conditions Modifying the Action of Poison
1. THOSE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL:
a. Age & Sex
b. Health
c. Habit – the repeated taking of small dose of drug
d. Idiosyncrasy – term applied to individuals who
exhibit unusual reactions to certain substances
e. Diseases
f. Food
g. Sleep
h. Exhaustion
Conditions Modifying the Action of Poison
1. THOSE ATTRIBUTED TO THE POISON ITSELF:
a. Physical State - poison is more rapidly absorbed when it
is in gaseous state than in solid or liquid
b. Dilution – when poison is diluted, the absorption is rapid
thus, resulting to intense toxic effects
c. Solubility - in order for a substance to act as a poison, it
must be capable of forming solution & readily absorbed
by the blood
d. Mode of Administration – poison is more rapidly
absorbed when it is injected in the veins that when
taken orally
e. Dose – the amount of substance administered at one
time
Kind of Dose

1. Safe Dose - one that does not cause harmful effect

2. Toxic or Poisonous Dose – one that is harmful to both
healthy and sick
3. Lethal Dose – one that kills
4. Minimum Dose – is the smallest amount that will
produce the therapeutic effect without causing harm
5. Maximum Dose – is the largest that will cause no harm
but at the same time produce desired therapeutic
effect
ENTRANCE & ELIMINATION OF POISON

ENTRANCE ELIMINATION
MOUTH EMESIS
SKIN RESPIRATION
NOSE & EYES FECES
RECTUM & VAGINA URINE
HYPODERMICALLY MILK
INTRAVENOUSLY SWEAT, SALIVA,TEARS
POSOLOGY
- is the science which deals
with the study of the dosage
of medicine to be
administered within a certain
period
MEDICINE
- is any substance which
can be administered to
correct or alleviate the
disease or disordered state of
the system
ANTIDOTES
- is any agent that
neutralizes a poison or
otherwise counteracts or
opposes its effects
KINDS OF ANTIDOTES
1. Chemical/True/Specific – one that makes the poison
harmless by chemically altering it

2. Mechanical – an agent that removes the poison without

changing it; it coats the surface of the organ so that
absorption is prevented

3. Physiological – (symptomatic/antagonist) is an agent

that acts upon the system so as to counteract the effects
of the poison
CAUSES OF DEATH IN POISONING

1. CARDIAC FAILURE

2.RESPIRATORY FAILURE

3.GENERAL DEVITALIZING

4.SHOCK TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM