although this certainly happens sometimes to the blood in the vessels of the stomach and adjacent organs, as will be proved under the head of the morbid appearances, there is no evidence that the same takes place throughout the bloodvessels generally, or in the great veins and heart in particular. Bouchardat's proofs of the detection of sulphuric acid in the blood are not satisfactory.
The duration of this variety of poisoning with the acids is commonly between twelve hours and three days. But sometimes life is prolonged for a week[1] or a fortnight;[2] and sometimes too death takes place in a very few hours. The shortest duration among the numerous cases of adults mentioned by Tartra is six hours;[3] but Dr. Sinclair, of Manchester, has related a case which lasted only four hours and a half;[4] a man lately died in the Edinburgh Infirmary within four hours; and Professor Remer of Breslau once met with a case fatal in two hours.[5]
The quantity required to produce these effects has not been ascertained, and must be liable to the same uncertainty here as in other kinds of poisoning. The smallest fatal dose of sulphuric acid I have hitherto found recorded was one drachm. It was taken with sugar by mistake for stomachic drops by a stout young man, and killed him in seven days.[6] An infant of twelve months has been killed in twenty-four hours by half a tea-spoonful, or about thirty minims.[7] A man has recovered after taking six drachms.[8]
2. The second variety of symptoms belong to a peculiar modification of disease, which is described by Tartra in rather strong language. It begins with the symptoms already noticed; but these gradually abate. The patient then becomes affected with general fever, dry skin, spasms and pains of the limbs, difficult breathing, tension of the belly, salivation, and occasional vomiting, particularly of food and drink. Afterwards membranous flakes are discharged by vomiting, and the salivation is accompanied with fœtor. These flakes are often very like the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines; and such they have often been described to be. More probably, however, they are of adventitious formation; for the mere mucous coat of the alimentary canal cannot supply the vast quantity that is evacuated. There is no doubt, however, that the lining membrane of the alimentary canal is occasionally discharged. Dr. Wilson has mentioned an instance of the ejection by coughing of about nine inches of the cylindrical lining of the pharynx and gullet six days after sulphuric acid was taken.[9] Sometimes worms are discharged dead, and evidently corroded by the poison.[10] Digestion is at the same time deranged, the whole functions of the body are languid, and the patient falls into a state of marasmus, which reduces
- ↑ Journal der Praktischen Heilkunde, vii. ii. 18.
- ↑ Archives Générales, xiii. 367.
- ↑ Tartra, p. 160.
- ↑ Edinburgh Med. and Surg. Journal, xxxvi. 102.
- ↑ Journal der Praktischen Heilkunde, xlix. iii. 60.
- ↑ Journal der Praktischen Heilkunde, vii. ii. 18.
- ↑ Mr J. B. Thomson in London Med. Gazette, 1841-42, i. 146.
- ↑ Martini's case.
- ↑ London Med. Gazette, 1834, xiv. 489.
- ↑ Tendering in Horn's Archiv für Medizinische Erfahrung, 1825, i. 458.
