190 Mk. Napier on the Effects of inhaUng Cyanide Fumes. 



As time went on these effects became more permanent. Stomach 

 almost always acid, with flatulence ; mouth ill-tasted, and in the mornings 

 dry and parched, and bad breath ; occasionally there occurred a feeling of 

 irritability in temper and great restlessness, starting often through sleep, 

 and awaking in fearful dreams ; there was then often felt a benumbing 

 sensation in the head, the mind having no individuality, with heavy 

 pains, not acute, shooting along the brow, giddiness, and momentary 

 heavings, as if the earth was making a lurch like a vessel, with occasional 

 gloomy apprehensions of death. The feeling of languor increased, bringing 

 on drowsiness, which, towards evening, was often irresistible, so that I 

 would often fall asleep a few minutes after sitting down anywhere. For 

 several weeks almost every other morning the nose bled copiously shortly 

 after getting out of bed. To all these effects were at last added rushing 

 of blood to the head with a hissing noise ; in the day momentary blindness 

 and rapid giddiness, which often lasted several minutes. 



With other two individuals this rushing of blood to the head was 

 followed with severe pain and flushing of the face, but in my own case I 

 experienced no flushes of the face nor pain in the head, but a burning 

 sensation and giddiness, and a dimness in the sight which lasted several 

 hours. 



I cannot help remarking here, and no doubt anticipating your remarks, 

 how foolish it now appears for us to have remained under such evidently 

 dangerous conditions ; I cannot account for it in any other way than from 

 the gradual accession of the symptoms ; for although I have described 

 them in a few minutes, they took upwards of two years and a-half of being 

 fully developed ; and were so insidious, that although sensible of the cause, 

 it did not strike us as serious until the sudden rushing of blood to the 

 head and blindness sounded the alarm. Our culpability seems more now, 

 knowing how easy it is to avoid the danger by proper ventilation. 



In the early stage of the business, when any thing went wrong with the 

 solution, the only means of recovering the silver was by precipitating it 

 by an acid, which produces an enormous evolution of gas ; for these 

 operations a number of ordinary labourers were employed to clean out the 

 vats. The floor of the room was all sprinkled with ammonia, to neutralise 

 the effects of the prussic acid as much as possible. Some of those men 

 became giddy and had to be led out of the room, not being able to stand 

 it any length of time ; others, after some time, became sick and vomited, 

 but after a supply of victuals and fresh air could resume their labour ; 

 while not a few stood it without feeling much annoyance beyond what a 

 glass of spirits put to rights. Those whose occupation and habits were 

 of an intellectual sort, were more easily and powerfully aff"ected than those 

 whose occupation and habits were merely physical. 



One modification is singular, and has struck me as curious. An indi- 

 vidual of a strong healthy constitution, and who felt the effects described 

 upon myself very slightly, although he was longer under its influence ; 

 but after breathing it for a few days felt stronger than usual, had severe 



