CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS
I. Corrosives
• Inorganic or mineral acids—Sulphuric acid,
nitric acid and hydrochloric acid.
• Organic acids—Carbolic acid, Oxalic acid,
acetic acid and salicylic acid.
B. Strong alkalis:
• Hydrates
• Carbonates of sodium and potassium.
C. Metallic salts:
• Zinc chloride
• Potassium chloride
• Ferric chloride.
II. Irritants
A. Inorganic:
• Metallic—Arsenic, lead, mercury, copper,
zinc, thallium etc.
• Non metallic—Phosphorus, chlorine,
bromine, iodine.
B. Organic:
• Vegetable poisons—Castor oil seeds, croton
oil, madar, semicarpus anacardium, calotropis,
capsicum, aloes, Abrus precatorius
• Animal—Cantharides, snake venom,
insects, scorpion, spiders etc.
C. Mechanical: Powdered glass, diamond dust,
chopped hair etc.
III. Neurotoxic
A. Cerebral:
• Somniferous—Opium, barbiturates
• Inebriants—Alcohol, Ether and chloroform
• Deliriant—Dhatura, Belladonna, Cannabis,
Hyocyamus, Cocaine.
B. Spinal—Nux vomica and gelsemium.
C. Peripheral—Curare, Conium.
IV. Cardiotoxic
Aconite, Quinine, Digitalis, oleander, nicotine and hydrocyanic acid.
V. Asphyxiants
These are poisonous irrespirable gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen
sulphide and coal gas. This category also includes the cyanides.
VI. Miscellaneous
A. Food poisons—Food borne botulism etc.
B. Agaro-chemicals:
• Pesticides and insecticides—Organophosphates,
carbamates and organo chlorine
compounds.
• Bipyridal herbicides—Paraquats and diquat
• Chlorophenoxy herbicides—Bromoxynil,
ioxynil.
• Rodenticides—Zinc phosphide, Strychnine
sulphate, Sodium monofluoroacetate,
Floroacetamide.
• Fumigants—Aluminium phosphide, ethylene
dibromide.
C. Domestic and commercial poisons:
• Petroleum distillates—Kerosene, Petrol
mineral oil
• Disinfectants, detergents and cleansing
agents.
D. Drugs of abuse—Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis, Cocaine and opium derivatives, sedatives and hypnotics
E. Chemical and biological warfare agents.
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