the Action of Poisons on the Animal System. §85 



stances, it is less in graminivorous than in carnivorous 

 animals. The inflammalion is greatest in the "Stomach and 

 intestines; but it usually extends also over the wliole in- 

 testine. I have never observed inflammation of the oeso- 

 phagus. The inflammation is greater in degree, and more 

 speedy in taking place, when arsenic is applied to a wound, 

 than when it is taken into the stomach. The inflamed 

 parts are in general univtr^ally red, at other times they are 

 red only in spots. The principal vessels ieadinij to the 

 stomach and intestines are turgid with blood ; but the in- 

 flammation is usually confined lo the mucous membrane of 

 these viscera, which assumes a florid red colour, becomes 

 soft and pulpv, and is separable without much difficulty 

 from the cellular coat, which has its natural appearance. 

 In some instances there are small . spots of extravasated 

 blood on the inner surface of the mucous membrane, or be- 

 tween it and the cellular coat, and this occurs independently 

 of vomiting. I have never, in any of my experiments, 

 founfl ulceration or sloughing of the stomach or intestine; 

 but if the animal survives for a certain length of lime, after 

 the inflammation has begun, it is reasonable to conclude 

 that it may terminate in one or other of these ways. 



T am disposed to believe that sloughing is very seldom, if 

 ever, the direct consequence of the application of arsenic 

 to the stomach or intestines. Arsenic applied to an ulcer 

 will occasion a slough : but its action in doing this is verr 

 slow. When I have applied the white oxide of arsenic tp 

 a wound, though the animal has sometimes lived three or 

 four hours afterwards, and ihough violent inflammation ha» 

 taken place in the stomach and intestines, I have never 

 seen any preternatural appearance in the part to which it 

 was applied, except a slight efl"usion of serum into the cel- 

 lular membrane. Arsenic speedily produces a very copious 

 secretion of mucus and watery fluid from the stomach and 

 intestines, which separates it from actual contact with the 

 inner surface of these organs, even though taken in larfi^e 

 quantity and in substance; and in animals which are ca- 

 pable of vomiting, by much the greater part is rejected 

 from the stomach very soon after it has been taken in. 

 Hence, though a few particles of arsenic are sometimes 

 found entangled in the mucus, or in the coagulum of ex- 

 travasated blood, and adhering to the inner surface of the 

 stomach, f have never seen it in such a quantity as might 

 be supposed capable of producing a slough. Jn one in- 

 itance, where a dog had swallowed a large quantity of 

 *ri«€uic in subitaucc, a brown spot, about an inch in dia- 



leler, 



me 



