INORGANIC POISONS ,Z59 



These are the true inorganic poisons, the action of which de- 

 pends upon their power of forming permanent compounds with 

 the substance of the membranes and muscular fibre. 



Salts of lead, iron, bismuth, copper, and mercury, belong to 

 this class. 



When solutions of these salts are treated with a sufficient 

 quantity of albumen, milk, muscular fibre, and animal mem- 

 branes, they enter into combination with those substances, and 

 lose their own solubility ; while the water in which they were 

 dissolved loses all the salt which it contained. 



The salts of alkaline bases extract water from animal sub- 

 stances ; whilst the salts of the heavy metallic oxides are, on the 

 contrary, extracted from the water, for they enter into combina- 

 tion with the animal matters. 



Now, when these substances are administered to an animal, 

 they lose their solubility by entering into combination with 

 the membranes, cellular tissue, and muscular fibre ; but in 

 very few cases can they reach the blood. According to all 

 the experiments yet made on the subject, it appears, that after 

 the lapse of the same time as is required for the appearance 

 of alkaline salts in the urine, the metallic salts above mentioned 

 cannot be detected in that fluid. In fact, during their passage 

 through the organism, they come into contact with many sub- 

 stances by which they are retained. By degrees, however, the 

 constituents of the tissues with which they have combined are 

 altered by the change of matter ; their nitrogen appears in the 

 urine, and along with it the mineral elements previously com- 

 bined with the organic matter, such as mercury, copper, &c. 

 When such substances enter into combination with organized 

 parts, the functions of those parts must be disturbed, and must 

 take an abnormal direction, producing morbid phenomena. 



The action of corrosive sublimate and arsenious acid is very 

 remarkable in this respect. Corrosive sublimate and other 

 salts of mercury combine chiefly with albumen and albuminous 

 tissues. 



Arsenious acid enters into a very firm combination with mem- 

 branes and gelatinous tissues. A piece of fresh skin, or a blad- 

 der which, if covered with water, liquefy in a few weeks into a 



