310 INORGANIC AGENTS 



the death of a clog, while the lethal amount for the horse is 

 about one ounce. Many cases of accidental poisoning have 

 occurred from absorption of carbolic acid when applied 

 externally for surgical purposes in dressings or solutions 

 upon raw surfaces. The symptoms are the same as when 

 absorption occurs from the digestive tract. Dogs and cats 

 are particularly susceptible to the action of phenol. The 

 milder symptoms of poisoning include dulness, loss of 

 appetite, muscular weakness and trembling, and dark-colored 

 urine having the odor of carbolic acid. After lethal doses 

 death may be instantaneous through respiratory arrest, the 

 heart continuing to beat for a time. The more ordinary 

 symptoms in severe poisoning in all animals are: trembling, 

 rarely vomiting and purging, restlessness, salivation, loss of 

 muscular power (animal reels and falls), diminution of 

 sensibility, anaesthesia, dyspnoea; the breathing is rapid, 

 shallow and stertorous ; the pulse is weak, irregular, and 

 usually frequent; the temperature is'lowered, and there are 

 the usual symptoms of collapse, with insensibility, coma, 

 loss of reflex action, general paralysis, occasional convul- 

 sions and death. Sometimes haematuria, albuminuria and 

 hsemoglobinuria have been observed. The condition resem- 

 bles apoplexy, but the mucous membrane of the mouth is 

 stained white in patches after ingestion of pure acid, dark 

 with crude acid, and the odor of the poison lingering about 

 the animal, together with the dark, green-colored urine, are 

 characteristic of phenol poisoning. The urine may be clear 

 when first voided, but becomes dark on standing. 



The absence of carbolic acid in the urine affords certain 

 evidence that the case is not one of poisoning by this drug. 

 Post mortem examination reveals hard, whitish or brownish 

 or black patches and sloughs upon the mucous membrane 

 of the mouth, gullet, stomach, and even the small intestines. 

 The blood is dark from asphyxia, and imperfectly coagu- 

 lated. There is occasionally fatty degeneration of the liver 

 and kidneys. The odor of the acid remains not longer than 

 twenty-four hours. 



