Expemnent with Phosphorus. 423 



bilious hue, and his bowels become costive. All that Mr. C. 

 has informed me of, concerning the nature of his antidote for 

 phosphorus, is, that it is of an animal nature. 



Many conflicting opinions are entertained by medical men, in 

 regard to the extent of the deleterious etfects of this poison on 

 the animal body ; some have even pronounced the substance to 

 be inert, when taken into the stomach in a solid state ; and 

 others are of opinion, that its mixture with oil renders it less 

 noxious ; while Mr. C. positively affirms, that oil renders it a 

 hundred fold more virulent. Some writers affirm, that one 

 quarter of a grain is sufficient, in some cases, to destroy the life 

 of man ; and by some German chemists it is stated, that the 

 water in which he had washed phosphorus, being drank by 

 chickens, proved fatal to them. I have heard lately of a patient 

 in Paris, to whom one 'grain was administered twice daily, for 

 impotency, with fatal effects. 



Confused by these conflicting statements, I was desirous of 

 obtaining some satisfactory results; for this purpose, 1 pro- 

 cured a full grown female cat, and on Tuesday, February 15th, 

 at 10 A. M. administered eleven grains of phosphorus, cut into 

 small pieces, and mixed with a table spoonful of milk and water. 

 The animal experienced no uneasiness for the first eighteen hours, 

 nor could I observe any symptoms, referable to the poison ; she 

 however passed urine during the evening which emitted the 

 smell of phosphorus, and some irritation existed about the ex- 

 ternal organs of generation. On Wednesday, she displayed con- 

 siderable uneasiness; drooped, cried, and during the morning 

 experienced a fit of epilepsy ; these symptoms increased apace, 

 and on Thursday night and Friday morning, she was, for the 

 most part, senseless, and expired in spasms at 1 P. M. about 

 three days after taking the poison. 



The following pathological symptoms were observed on dis- 

 section :— The intestines, for the most part, empty, and much 

 contracted ; the Hver and kidneys gorged with blood ; the former 

 covered with small bright punctuations of blood; the uterus con- 

 tained three embryons about two weeks old ; (the term of ges- 

 tation in these animals being fifty-six days.) On opening the 

 stomach, the mucous tunic was observed generally inflamed : 

 particularly so about the great curvature, and pyloric portion, 

 which also displayed numerous holes, or abrasions, some of them 



