228 



ARSENIC. 



ARSENIC (continued). 



Pharmacody namics (con tinned ) . 



Metabolism. Arsenic produces a stimulation of the blood-forming organs; re- 

 duces the relative alkalinity of the blood ; inhibits the glycogenic function of the liver ; 

 and produces a tendency to fatty degeneration of the epithelium of the intestine and 

 of the lung alveoli, of the liver, kidney, muscle-cells of the heart and blood-vessels, 

 and of striated muscle. 



Temperature is sometimes elevated because of the inflamed mucosa. 



Absorption is fairly rapid from mucosa under favorable conditions. 



Excretion. Arsenic is excreted chiefly by the kidneys, but elimination is slow, as 

 it forms nuclein compounds in the tissues. 



Local Action. Irritant and escharotic if skin be broken. 



Tolerance to the oral ingestion of arsenic is acquirable, presumably because the 

 intestines no longer absorb it. 



Symptoms. 



Medicinal Doses. 



No symptoms; if bagging under 

 eyes appears, drug should be 

 discontinued for a while. 



Acute Poisoning. 

 Dysphagia; gastric pain. 

 Abdominal distress; colic. 

 Vomiting; serous diarrhea. 

 Giddiness, headache, cramps. 

 Pallor. 



Weak, feeble pulse. 

 Sighing respiration. 

 Collapse; coma. 

 Death in 24 to 96 hours. 



Chronic Poisoning. 

 ist Stage: 



Weakness and lassitude. 

 Bagging under eyes. 

 Lachrymation. Anorexia. 

 Nausea; possibly vomiting. 

 Gastric discomfort. 



2d Stage: 



Catarrh of eyes, nose, and throat 

 Jaundice; hepatic swelling. 

 Exanthems ; desquamation. 

 Melanosis and herpes. 



3d Stage: 



Persistent headache. 

 Acute localized pains. 

 Formication of extremities. 

 Erythromelalgia ; myalgia. 

 Sensory peripheral neuritis. 

 Motor neuritis of extensors of ex- 

 tremities. 



Symmetrical atrophy. 

 Mental apathy. 



Therapeutics. 



Arsenic is almost specific in chorea minor, is helpful in some forms of skin dis- 

 eases, and has wrought striking cures in trypanosomiasis and in chronic syphilis. 



Dosage. 



Arseni Trioxidum, o.ooi to 0.005 Gm. 

 Liquor Potassii Arsenitis, 0.05 to 0.5 mil. 



" Arsphenamin or Salvarsan (paradiamidodioxyarsenobenzolum hydrochloride) 

 contains 35% Arsenic, 0.6 Gm. 



