28 Notes from the Physiological Laboratory 



Prof. Alfred Stille* 1 quotes two cases occurring in 

 adults with fatal results. In one, a boy, aged six- 

 teen, took about a drachm of this drug; symptoms 

 of the ingestion of an irritant poison followed, to- 

 gether with great salivation, and death ensued in a 

 week's time. 2 



"In the second case, a man, set. 27, took forty 

 grains of this medicine by mistake for JEthiops 

 mineral. The primary symptoms were precisely 

 the same as in the above case just related. Death 

 occurred at the end of ten days. The inner surface 

 of the month, gums, palate, and fauces were cov- 

 ered with black sloughs ; the parotid and submax- 

 illary glands were enlarged ; the mucous membrane 

 throughout the intestinal canal was softened and 

 easily torn ; the glands of the stomach and intes- 

 tines unnaturally large; the kidneys were much 

 enlarged, and the bladder full of urine." 3 



A case of poisoning, with recovery, by the same 

 drug, in a dose of "less than a drachm," is reported 

 by Yowndes. 4 



1 Therapeutics, fourth edition, vol. ii. p. 769. 



2 Letheby, London Medical Gazette, xxxix. p, 474. 



3 Taylor, Guy's Hospital "Reports, 3d series, x. 180. 



4 Abstract in Lancet, March 10, 1860. 



