THE LESIONS INDUCED BY POISONS. 353 



For the effects of several infrequently employed salts of the alkalies and alkaline 

 earths, which for the most part produce simple inflammation of the gastro-intestinal 

 canal, we refer to special works on toxicology. 



Phosphorus. 



Poisoning by phosphorus is much more common in France and Germany than in 

 this country. Some of the forms of rat poison, of which this is a frequent ingredient, 

 and the ends of matches, are common media for its administration. It is more often 

 used with suicidal than with homicidal intent. 



The post-mortem appearances vary according to the length of time which elapses 

 before death, which may be from a few hours to several months. 



If death takes place in a few hours the only lesions may be those produced by the 

 direct local action of the poison. The mouth, pharynx, and oesophagus usually escape. 

 The stomach may be only slightly reddened, or there may be patches of inflammation 

 and erosion. The contents of the stomach are often mixed with blood and may have 

 the peculiar smell of phosphorus. There may be little bits of wood present when the 

 poison has been taken from the heads of lucifer matches. It is said that the mucous 

 membrane of the stomach may emit a phosphorescent light in the dark. 



If death does not ensue until after several days the lesions are more marked. The 

 body is usually jaundiced. There may be ecchymoses beneath the pericardium, pleura, 

 and peritoneum, in the lungs, the kidneys, the bladder, the uterus, the muscles, and 

 the subcutaneous connective tissue, and bloody fluid in the visceral cavities. 



Ohromatolysis of the ganglion cells may occur. 



The heart and voluntary muscles, the walls of the blood-vessels, and the epithelium 

 of the pulmonary air vesicles may be in the condition of fatty degeneration. The blood 

 is usually dark and fluid. 



The stomach sometimes presents no very striking changes. There may be small 

 circumscribed spots of inflammation, erosion, or gangrene, and occasionally perforation. 

 The most constant change is albuminous and fatty degeneration of the cells which line 

 the gastric follicles. In consequence of this the mucous membrane appears thickened, 

 opaque, of white, gray, or yellow color. The small intestine appears normal or is con- 

 gested. 



The liver is found in different degrees of albuminous and fatty degeneration, and 

 is often stained yellow from the jaundice. It is usually increased in size and of a gray- 

 ish-yellow or light-yellow color, unless stained by the bile. Less frequently the 

 centres of the acini are congested, or the entire liver is congested, or there are small 

 haemorrhages in the liver tissue. The liver may be soft, flabby, and smaller than nor- 

 mal. In the interstitial tissue of the liver and along the branches of the portal vein 

 there may be marked infiltration with small spheroidal cells. 



The kidneys often present albuminous and fatty degeneration of the epithelium. 

 The mesenteric lymph-nodes may be soft and swollen from hyperplasia. 



Arsenic. 



This poison is very frequently employed with suicidal intent. Death may occur 

 in a longer or shorter time from the direct irritative effects of the poison upon the 

 gastro-intestinal canal, with the symptoms which usually accompany the ingestiou of 

 irritant poisons ; or it may occur with symptoms of collapse, or coma, or shock ; or the 

 symptoms may resemble those of cholera. The average time of death in acute fatal 

 cases is about twenty hours, but death has occurred in twenty minutes and has been 

 prolonged for two or three weeks. 



The mouth, pharynx, and cesophagus may be inflamed, but are more frequently un- 

 altered. The stomach may be empty or contain mucus mixed with blood. The arsenic, 

 in substance, may be found adherent to the mucous membrane or mixed with the con- 

 tents of the organ. It has, in rare cases, been found encysted in the stomach in consid- 

 erable quantity. When invisible to the naked eve a microscopical examination of the 

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