202 INSECTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, AND WEED KILLERS. 



children in doses of 1-2 centigrammes every ten minutes until the false 

 membranes are expelled. Blue vitriol is, moreover, a powerful disin- 

 fectant, used especially to disinfect linen soiled in cholera cases, typhus, 

 and other epidemic diseases. Blue vitriol is not poisonous to man to 

 the same extent as lead, mercury, arsenic, antimony, and phosphorus. 

 It acts as a caustic on the mucous membranes, and may produce, when 

 it is absorbed in abundance by the stomach, a gastro-intestinal catarrh, 

 vfhich is rarely fatal. Given in certain regular doses it may interfere 

 with the functions of the nervous and muscular systems and produce 

 cachexy, but that disappears rapidly with the cause. 



Blue vitriol coagulates albumen ; it is thus haemostatic like ferric 

 salts, but copper albuminates are soluble in alkalis, acids, alkaline 

 chlorides, and even in an excess of albumen. This property explains 

 the comparative harmlessness of copper salts which are regularly 

 eliminated by the kidneys. Absorbed by the stomach only a small 

 portion of it enters the blood. The stomach eventually tolerates very 

 strong doses. At the Salpetriere up to 125 grammes of ammoniacal 

 sulphate of copper were given to epileptic patients in 165 days. Blue 

 vitriol in doses of 25-60 grammes (383-920 grains) is generally fatal, 

 but cures are known after absorption of 125 grammes (1918 grains). 

 Such large doses are, moi'eover, difficult to swallow, the stomach soon 

 rejecting poisonous doses. Copper salts are more poisonous the 

 greater their solubility ; the oxides, as well as metallic copper, have 

 in fact little action on our organism. Contrary to an ancient pre- 

 judice, toxicologists admit to-day, with just reason, that copper salts 

 are but slightly poisonous. Dr. Galippe has shown that 50 centi- 

 grammes to 1 gramme of copper salts may be swallowed daily with- 

 out fatal accidents. Workers in copper, those who work in verdigris 

 factories, show no signs of poisoning even if, owing to the daily ab- 

 sorption of copjoer, their hair, nails, and skin turn green, a colour 

 which, according to Petri, is produced by the deposit of microscopic 

 salts of copper. The copper daily absorbed would rather, according 

 to Dr. Pecholier, have a beneficial effect on the organism, an effect 

 analogous to that which is produced by iron salts. He has remarked 

 that chlorosis never exists in workmen engaged in verdigris factories, 

 and that workmen, anaBmic when they entered, were quickly cured 

 of that complaint. The fear expressed formerly that the treatment 

 of vines by copper salts might introduce into the wine poisonous 

 substances injurious to the consumers is not, therefore, justified. The 

 doses borne by the human organism are much greater than those 

 which could be absorbed in articles of diet containing copper. 

 Different fruits treated with copper have been absorbed without in- 

 convenience (Fairchild). Moreover, 1 kilogramme of grapes, which 

 came from a vine treated with bouillie bordelaise in autumn, only con- 

 tained 17-35 milligrammes of copper, whilst preserved green peas 

 contain 11-125 milligrammes; the amount found in the wine is still 

 less. According to the analysis of Crolas, Eaulin, Gayon, Millardet, 

 Muntz, and Eossel, the maximum of copper found in wines, from 

 vineyards treated with copper bouillie, was from 2'5 milligrammes per 

 litre in red wines and 1 milligramme in white wines ; in the greater 



