In a fatal case, that of a woman who had taken upon an empty stomach a large teaspoonful of corrosive sublimate in powder, Durante found the following anatomical changes: Subpericardial ec chymoses; enlarged liver, with sular ecchymoses; pale, swelled kidneys, with small ecchymoses in the pelves; oesophagus reddened at its upper part, normal below; stomach showed a soft ened mucosa, with numerous ecchymosed patches and large, grayish ulcerations, most marked near the fundus; intestinal mucosa showed limited areas of deep dening, with ulcerations, the changes in the large intestine being less than those in the ileum; the brain showed injection of the vascular meninges.
Local applications of various prepara tions of mercury are no less toxic than when the drug is taken by the mouth.
Case of girl, aged 20 who sprained her wrist. A few days later lyrnphangitis apparently supervened, for which mer curial ointment was applied and rubbed into some cracks on the hand. An hour after the inunction the patient felt ill, fainted, and vomited. The same evening, there was much swelling of the hand and of the arm on its dorsal aspect. An in cision was at once made into the brawny and gray-colored tissues. The next day, January 16th, there was vomiting, with tenesmus and slight albuminuria. Culti vation experiments were negative. On January 17th the vomiting was less fre quent, but there was anuria. The stools were blood-stained, and the condition very like that of dysentery. There was no fever. On January 1Sth severe Ilma temesis occurred. Diarrhcea, with stools of almost pure blood, and anuria, con tinued. On January 19th there were gangrenous gingivitis and glossitis, with moderate salivation. The prostration was great, but the mind remained clear. The following day there w as a, feeling of weight, and then paralysis, in the ex tremities, and the patient died. There ere small lituorrliages and superficial sloughs in the mucous membrane of the lower part of the small intestine and the characteristic appearances of severe dysentery in the large intestine. In the kidneys there were well-marked necrotic changes in the epithelium, especially of the convoluted tubes. Sackur (Berliner klin. Woeh., June 20, '92).
The recommendation of preparations of mercury for vaginal douching is at tended with danger, owing to the large quantity of fluid injected. Rectal in
jections are still more dangerous, owing to the rapidity with which fluids are ab sorbed.
Patient injected into the rectum a so lution of perehloride of mercury (B. P.) —1 in 2000—which had been ordered for the preparation of a vaginal douche. In half an hour she was seized with cramp like abdominal pains, and a little later she was found collapsed and pale, with a rapid intermittent and weak pulse, the jaws tightly clenched, the eyes dull and anxious. She recovered within a week, though complaining, of her teeth and gums. Salivation never occurred. Hall (Lancet, ,Tan. 9, '97).
Treatment of Poisoning by ilfereury.— Albumin forms an insoluble albuminate of mercury; hence the whites of several eggs should at once be administered to the patient. As the allmininate is liable to be disintegrated after a certain time, however, the stomach should be evacu ated soon after and washed out, using the stomach-pump. As soon as this is done more white of egg should be ad ministered and left in situ. If none can be had, wheat-flour or milk may he ited, T. 1%ith little ough to enable it to reach ti,• - • ,0 it promptly. After this -vtiti.toni4 are to be treated on , • 1.• zik.ii!Ls as thiy appear.
' rit drachms of yellow oxide of incr . ith 1 f the red, accidentally taken it. 4n, roduced in three minutes 1. V1.1110.111.17. cd by diarrlicea.
k apd cl-gs ere given, and thc man t‘inil. Herbert G. Lee (Brit. Med. ur., 1.t. .
General Therapeutics of Mercury. Metallic Mercury.—Mercury itself is 1,-. in tilt. following forms:— .31(w. — The mercury is tritu r t• d with the excipients until the mer Lurial :lobules are no longer visible tin& r microscope magnifying 10 diam ett rs. The mass thus prepared contains pir ant. of mercury. The dose is fr. it 1 to 10 grains. The familiar 'blue should contain 3 grains, but this d. Fe iS sometimes exceeded.
1, ray P •der. — Mercury with chalk, rt. hydrargyrum cum creta, is likewise a fin,. triturate, but it contains 3S per cent. ( f mercury and 57 per cent. of prepared cl.alk. Each grain of gray powder con ta:ns about 1/, grain of mercury. The drse in children is from to 2 grains.
reurial or blue ointment is prepared I.v ,r'turating mercury with lard and -until the mercurial globules are in as above. It contains about 50 'Pr crnt. of metallic mercury.