52 



colated thoroughly with ether, which upon evaporation left a col- 

 orless oil. Upon removing the ether the zinc dissolved without 

 difficulty in hydrochloric acid, conclusively proving that this 

 sample contained no carbon, and that the insolubility was due 

 to the presence of the oil. 



LAC POISONING. 



Goertz* 3 gives the following description of lac poisoning in 

 which the idiosyncrasy of the individual plays an important 

 part. A few hours after the poisoning the patient complains of 

 an unpleasant tension of the skin, usually of the face, head and 

 extremities. Soon after there forms an oedema of the affected 

 parts. Small red points become visible, which look like fine rash. 

 These grow larger forming on the points small blisters containing 

 a watery fluid. The parts of the skin affected are restricted to 

 the head and extremities. 



Ishimatsu states: 84 "It gives off a certain kind of volatile 

 acid, poisonous in its property, and some persons are seriously 

 attacked by it, producing great swellings on the face especially, 

 and even the whole body where the acid comes in contact. Dur- 

 ing my examination in the laboratory, one day one of the appara- 

 tus-keepers came in and was violently attacked by it, producing 

 ugly swellings all over his face. He told me at the time that it 

 was exceedingly itchy, and by using solution of acetate of lead, 

 chloride of potash and carbonate of soda, was said to have recov- 

 ered from his suffering within a week." 



"The poison that is evolved from urushi acts only on certain 

 persons. I had to work with it for many days, yet never had any 

 attack of the kind nor felt any uneasiness by it." 



Prof. J. J. Rein 86 describes the lac poisoning as follows : 



"It is a peculiar, not very painful, and not at all fatal, but 

 always very disagreeable disease, always attacking one new to 

 the work, whether he be lac tapster, dealer, or lacquerer. It 

 appears in a mild reddening and swelling of the back of the 

 hands, the eylids, ears, the region of the navel and lower parts 

 of the body, especially the scrotum. In all these parts great heat 



83 Ueber in Japan vorkommende Fish- und Lackvergiftungen. St. 

 Petersburger medicinische Wochenschrift, 1878, No. 12. 



* Manchester Literary and Philos. Soc., 3 Ser. 7, p. 254. 

 85 The Industries of Japan, p. 349. 



