3. Carbon monoxide exposure in 7/25 cases (35%); Methane gas (4);
opioids (4); carbolic acid (3); alcohol (2). Others (1 each):
chloral hydrate, nitrous oxide, strychnine, battery acid,
cyanide and nitrogen mustard. 12/25 (48%) were cases of suicides;
12/25 (48%) were accidents and one case was determined to be a
homicide.
For a fascinating description of our national pastime's
connection with poisoning and toxicology, refer to
Mithridata, the newsletter of the Toxicological History
Society (ThiS) issue #12, Vol.VI, No.2, July 1996. Chicago
emergency medicine physicians Drs. Timothy Erickson and
Stephen Boren report in the publication indings from their
review of the history of poisonings and toxic exposures
involving major league baseball players.