of poison. Cause repeated vomiting by
giving three or four glasses of warm water, each containing half a
level teaspoonful of mustard. Put finger down throat to assist. Empty
bowels by giving warm injection of soapsuds and water by fountain
syringe._

_Rule 2.--Support heart and rally nerve force. Give teaspoonful of
whisky in tablespoonful of hot water every half hour, as needed. Put
hot-water bottles at feet and about body._

=Conditions, Etc.=--Bacterial poisons, constituting irritants of the
stomach and bowels, are found in certain mussels, oysters from
artificial beds, eels out of stagnant ditches--as well as the uncooked
blood of the common river eel--certain fish at all times, certain fish
when spawning, putrefied fish, fermented canned fish, sausages of
which the ingredients have putrefied, putrefied meat, imperfectly
cured bacon, putrefied cheese, milk improperly handled and not cooled
before being transported, ice cream which fermented before freezing,
or ice cream containing putrid gelatin, and mouldy corn meal and the
bread made from it.

These poisons are called toxins, or toxalbumins, or bacterial
proteids. They are no longer called ptomaines, because many ptomaines
are not poisonous. They are formed within the cells of the bacteria,
and result from the combination of certain constituents of the food
material that nourishes the bacteria, in some way not quite
understood. Some decomposition must have taken place in the food
before it can furnish to the bacteria the nourishment it needs. If
this has happened, the bacteria multiply rapidly, and the toxins that
are formed are taken up by the lymphatics and carried away from the
tissues as fast as possible. But so great is their virulence that they
act on several vital organs before they can be antagonized by the
natural elements of the blood.

=Symptoms.=--The symptoms are much the same in all the cases of
bacterial poisoning mentioned. Sudden and violent vomiting and
diarrhea appear a few hours after eating the spoiled food, or may be
delayed. There may be headache, colic, and cramps in the muscles.
Marked prostration and weak pulse with cold hands and feet are
characteristic. The appearance of skin eruptions is not uncommon. The
occurrence of such symptoms in several persons, some hours after
partaking of the same food, is sufficient to warrant one in
pronouncing the trouble food poisoning.

=Treatment.=--The objects of treatment are to rid the patien