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in the south of France expend from 10,000 to 12,000 franes in these 
sirups, at an average of about 2 francs per kilogram. The extent to 
which these southern houses practice this adulteration was shown by 
the numerous analyses at Nancy, conducted by Professor Ritter, of the 
faculty of medicine. It is very likely that the same facts would be re- 
vealed by an investigation at other centers of population in France. 
The proportion of fuchsin, amounting in many of these wines to 0.025 
gram per liter, was sufficient to produce organic disturbance in a very 
few days. 
The experiments of Messrs. Ritter and Feltz demonstrate the poison- 
ous character of fuchsin, even when unmixed with arsenic, which of 
course gravely complicates the difficulty. A stout, healthy, robust man 
of fifty years swallowed 200 centimeters, or less than one-seventh of a 
gallon, of wine, containing ‘one-half a gram, or nearly 8 grains, of fuchsin. 
A quarter of an hour afterward his ears were deeply colored with 
red; his mouth became pruriginous, (affected with a painful itching sen- 
sation ;) his alveolar process swelled slightly, with a constant tendency 
to spit. Two days after the same dose was administered immediately 
after eating. The coloration of the mucous membranes and of the in- 
teguments was less pronounced, but still very perceptible. The patient 
continued to drink every morning for twelve days a liter of this wine. 
The coloration of the ears was not so permanent, but the itching of the 
mouth became more severe. About the eighth day a very uncomfort- 
able scalding sensation was felt at the sides of the ears. On the elev- 
enth day diarrhea supervened, the stools being colored with fuchsin. 
On the twelfth day very painful colic-cramps were followed by numer- 
ous evacuations. The urine was rose-colored during the whole experi- 
ment, and after the twelfth day contained albumen. On the cessation 
of the dose the patient recovered health in two days. 
Two series of experiments on dogs brought to light the disorganizing 
action of fuchsin upon the kidneys. A dose of 0.6 gram (9.25 
grains) was daily given to a dog for fifteen days, and the same dose to 
another dog for eight days. The animals grew thinner and lost weight 
daily; their urine, colored red, contained albumen, and afterward gran- 
ulo-fatty cylinders, clearly indicating an alteration in the kidneys. Fi- 
nally diarrhea came on, when the coloration of the urine diminished, as 
also the albuminous matter. Both the animals showed itching at the 
mouth by rubbing their muzzles against the ground; they slavered 
freely. 
The experiment was varied by injecting the fuchsin directly into the 
circulation. One dog was treated with 0.35 gram, (5.4 grains ;) an- 
other with 1.71 grams, (16.39 grains,) in three doses; a third with 0.45 
gram, (6.84 grains,) in three doses, but all on the same day; a fourth 
with 1,80 grams, (16.77 grains,) in two doses; a fifth with 0.48 gram, 
(7.4 graizrs,) in four days. The mucous membranes and integuments 
were strongly discolored in all cases; they lost appetite, but drank freely, 
though without febrile symptoms. The second dog died in ten days 
after | the injection; the fifth in twelve days; the third in twenty-one days ; 
the other two survived the experiment. A post-mortem examination 
showed all the organs, except the nervous system, colored by fuchsin, 
which was eliminated through the bile. The surviving animals mani- 
fested a degeneracy of the cortical substance of the kidneys, sometimes 
visible to the naked eye, and easily discernible at any time with the 
microscope. The proportion of albumen in the urine rose as the symp- 
toms became more decided, ranging from 7 to 33 grams per 1,000; 
this continued long after the injection. 
