230 INORGANIC AGENTS 



be of a bluish color. Aphrodisiac action has been noted in 

 man, following small doses of iodine. The treatment of 

 acute poisoning is embraced in the use of starch by the 

 mouth, or raw eggs, external heat ; strychnine, alcohol, and 

 atropine subcutaneously. Chronic poisoning by iodine, or 

 iodism, in man, commonly causes symptoms analogous to a 

 severe cold in the head, with pain over the frontal sinus, 

 sore thoat, running at the eyes and nose, gastric indigestion, 

 together with an acneform, and occasionally purpuric, or 

 furuncular eruption. 



These more frequent symptoms of iodism occur as well 

 after the administration of potassium iodide as after that of 

 iodine, but other rarer effects, such as wasting of the testes 

 and mammary glands, and nervous disorders, e. ^., neuralgic 

 pains and convulsions, are hardly ever observed following 

 the use of potassium iodide. It is evident that the physio- 

 logical effects of iodine and potassium iodide are somewhat 

 different ; and clinical experience shows that the therapeutic 

 value of the metalloid differs in some respects from that of 

 the salt. It is not definitely known in what form iodine 

 exists in the body, after its ingestion, although it is usually 

 taught that it is converted into an iodidQ. Both iodine and 

 potassium iodide are readily absorbed from mucous mem- 

 branes, and are found in all the tissues and fluids of the 

 body. Iodine 'is eliminated, to a great extent as an iodide, 

 probably of sodium, by the usual channels, as well as by the 

 mucous membranes. The kidneys eliminate the greater 

 amount, but iodine is found in the saliva and gastric juice 

 after it has ceased to be present in the urine. Experimeuts 

 concerning the action of iodine upon the kidneys and circu- 

 lation, yield conflicting results, although the nitrogenous 

 elements in the urine usually appear to be increased by its 

 administration. 



Uses External. — Iodine is of most value applied exter- 

 nally, or locally, while potassium iodide is administered 

 internally because it is not irritating to the digestive organs. 

 Although potassium iodide does not exactly represent the 



