Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/596

560 ANTICYRA W. point in lat. 49 48', Ion. 64 35'. Along a great part of the coast there is a dangerous belt of reefs uncovered at low tide. There are two harbors comparatively safe at all times : one at Gramaclie or Ellice bay, near the W. end, and the other at Fox bay on the northwest. The coast line on the S. side rises from 20 to 80 feet above the water ; on the N. a succession of ridge-like elevations, separated by depressions, rise from 200 to 500 feet. On the S. side there are excellent peat beds 80 m. in length and 2 in width, with a depth of from 3 to 10 feet, and marl beds of considerable thickness. There are three lighthouses on the island. AVrilVRA. I. An ancient city of southern Thessaly, on the Spercheus, famous for produc- ing the best hellebore, which was regarded by the ancients as a cure for madness. II. A city of Phocis on the Corinthian gulf, also cele- brated for the production of hellebore. The Anticyrseans are said to have been expelled from their city by Philip of Macedon after the close of the sacred war. It was taken in a subsequent age by the Roman general Ltevinus, and given up by him to the ^Etolians. It was occupied during the Macedonian war by the consul Flamininus, for the sake of its harbor, which afforded a secure retreat for the Roman fleet. The site of Anticyra is still discernible on the shore of the Corinthian gulf, and known as Aspra Spitia, or "the white houses." MTIDOTES (Gr. avri, against, and 6i66vat, to give), a term formerly used to signify reme- dies or preservatives against sickness, but now applied only to means for counteracting the effect of poisons. To get rid at once of the poisoning substance, to hinder its absorption, or to counteract its effects, are the general re- sults to be sought for. The first of these ob- jects is attained, when the poison is in the stomach, either by the stomach pump or an emetic. If a stomach pump is not at hand, an ordinary elastic syringe with a stomach tube may be made to do duty in washing and pump- ing out the stomach. The best emetics are those which act rapidly, especially mustard, which is almost always at hand, sulphate of copper (blue vitriol), or sulphate of zinc (white vitriol), the vomiting being encouraged and kept up by tickling the fauces, giving large draughts of warm water, &c. If the poison has been thrown into or under the skin, as by the bites of serpents or mad dogs, or wounds from poi- soned weapons, it may be sucked out by the mouth or a cupping glass ; the wounded part may be excised, or a ligature placed so as to hinder the entrance of the poison into the sys- tem. Dr. Fayrer's elaborate experiments have shown that these procedures, to be of any avail, must be put in force with the utmost promptness, since only a few seconds suffice for the poison of venomous serpents to enter the circulation. The cauterization of such wounds either with the hot iron or powerful chemical agents, such as nitric acid, nitrate of silver^ and ammonia, has been practised. ANTIETAM Many substances may be rendered insoluble or comparatively inert in the stomach by appro- priate chemical reagents. Strong acids may be neutralized by magnesia, chalk, or soap; caustic alkalies by vinegar. We may use for arsenic freshly precipitated sesquioxide of iron, which every druggist should have the materials at hand for preparing at short notice. That which has been kept under water, or the so- called subcarbonate, may be used in case the first is not ready. The light magnesia, or freshly precipitated gelatinous magnesia, has also been used. A mixture of chalk and castor oil, of the consistence of cream, is said to envelop the particles of arsenic still adherent to the stom- ach after it has been washed, and render them harmless. For bichloride of mercury, albumen (eggs), gluten (wheat flour), or caseine (milk) may be used, but should at once be followed by an emetic, as the precipitate formed is not absolutely insoluble. With lead and baryta, sulphates form insoluble precipitates; with sulphate of copper or zinc carbonate of soda, and with oxalic acid carbonate of lime (chalk) may be used. The vegetable astringents (galls, tannic acid, strong tea), and also a solution of iodine in iodide of potassium, form insoluble precipitates with some of the alkaloids. The antidotes which fulfil the third indication, coun- teracting the effects of poisons, are not so well determined. Inflammation from irritant poi- sons is to be treated on general principles. Opium narcotism is to be treated by external irritants, such as cold affusion or forced exercise and strong coffee. The efficacy of belladonna as an antidote to opium, and vice versa, is not established. For prussic acid ammonia may be cautiously used. The symptoms of nux vomica and strychnia may be partially con- trolled by chloroform, chloral (if there is time for it to act), or bromide of potassium. Aco- nite has been proposed. Aconite poisoning calls for stimuli, as alcohol and ammonia. ANTIETAM, Battle of, fought by the national army of the Potomac, under Gen. George B. McClellan, and the confederate army of North Virginia, under Gen. Robert E. Lee, between Sharpsburg and the Antietam creek, an af- fluent of the Potomac river, Sept. 16 and 17, 1862. After the defeat of the army of the Po- tomac in the seven days' fighting on the line of the Chickahominy, the confederates prepared for an invasion of Maryland, worsted Pope's army at Cedar Mountain, in the second battle of Bull Run, and at Chantilly, crossed the Potomac near Leesburg, and concentrated their forces at Frederick. Meanwhile the national army had been withdrawn from Harrison's Landing and consolidated at Washington with Pope's command, and the whole, under McClellan, moved out to meet Lee. The right wing, con- sisting of the 1st and 9th corps, was under Burnside ; the centre, composed of the 2d and 12th corps, was under Sunnier; and the left wing, composed of the 6th corps, was under Franklin. In this order McClellan marched