POTASSIUM CHLORATE.—In large doses chlorate of potassium exerts a paralyzing effect upon the spinal cord, but has a more profound action upon ,the blood, disintegrating the corpuscles and making it of a chocolate color. In poisonous doses vomiting with hmmatemesis, delir ium, limmatogenous jaundice, and coma result. The bodily temperature is mark edly depressed, and rigors, cyanosis, and great muscular weakness are usually pres ent. Death occurs from the depression of the vital powers, due to its destructive action upon the blood and the congestive obstruction of the kidneys.
In addition to the above symptom the appearance of small, punctiform, hmm orrhagic spots on the legs and extending to the trunk and upper extremities has been observed as late as the sixteenth day.
The use of potassium ehlorate, even as a gargle, should be entirely given up and forbidden. Even in small doses it is a severe blood poison, and may produce an haamorrhagic nephritis. P. Jacob (Bed. klin. Woch., July 5, '97).
Treatment of Poisoning by Potassium Chlorate. — Two symptoms have been pointed out by F. Forchheimer as being a warning for the stoppage of this drug: drowsiness and a scantiness of suppres sion of the urine. Landerer advises, as
the best treatment, venesection followed by infusions of normal salt solution, or, better, of defibrinated blood. In addition w e may suggest, further, the use of saline purgatives and diuretics, especially caf feine and calomel, with hot baths.
On introducing potassium chlorate into the peritoneal cavity of rabbits, the ani mals died thirty-eight hours later in con vulsion, especially of the respiratory muscles. This led to a study of the effects when the substance was injected into the brain. Opisthotonos was usually the first symptom. Tonic contractions soon gave way to clonic convulsions. With strong solutions, violent tetanic convulsions were produced. The experi ments show the drug to be a strong poison for the nerve-cells, which are first excited, then paralyzed. On introducing it into the circulation it seems fair to assume that a certain amount reaches the brain in sufficient concentration to excite and paralyze, especially the respiratory centre. S. J. Meltzer (Then. Gaz., July 15, 1900).