HYDRARGYRUM — MERCURY 427 



stitute what is known as mercurial ptyalism. The general health 

 also suffers as is shown by anemia, loss of flesh, fever, chills, thirst, 

 anorexia, vomiting and purging. 



The mercuric salts are more toxic and irritant than the mercur- 

 ous. The administration of a single large dose of one of them (the 

 sublimate) is soon followed by burning in the throat, esophagus, 

 stomach and intestines. Nausea, vomiting and purging of a bloody 

 mucus takes place. There may be dysuria, anuria and collapse if 

 the patient does not die from slaock or collapse due to the corrosion. 

 Even a single large dose may lead to chronic poisoning, death be- 

 ing delayed for several days and being finally due to lesions in the 

 gastro-intestinal canal, or nephritis. The animals remain conscious 

 till the last as the nervous system is not affected early. In chronic 

 cases the general symptoms are overshadowed by the local or cor- 

 rosive action. These are most prominent in the gastro-intestinal 

 tract, no matter in what way or form mercury is given, and consist 

 of gastro-enteritis, which begins in the upper part of the tract as 

 mentioned under ptyalism, and extends to the intestines. It is 

 violent in the lower portion of the bowels, causing severe abdominal 

 pain and bloody discharges from the bowels. Death may be due 

 to gastro-enteritis, uremia on account of the nephritis, or to pros- 

 tration. 



The insoluble preparations (calomel) in medicinal doses are 

 cathartics causing quite copious discharges, attended with but little 

 pain. They also serve as diuretics, probably due to some stimulat- 

 ing action upon the tubules of the kidneys. Mercury preparations 

 are also useful when applied to glandular or other exudations of a 

 serous or fibrinous nature. They are also strong antiseptics. 



The toxic doses of mercuric chloride for the different animals are 

 given as: 



120 grains for the horse. 



120 " " " cow. 

 60 " " " sheep. 



3-5 " " " dog. 



Autopsy. The mucosa is always inflamed and often ulcerated. 

 The kidneys show acute parenchymatous nephritis, and in addition 

 to this, frequently contain deposits of lime in the tubules which 

 are fairly suggestive of mercurial poisoning. 



Treatment of Poisoning. Acute poisoning. Administer milk 

 or egg albumen to form the albuminates, and remove these with a 

 stomach tube or emetic to prevent absorption. Then give demul- 

 cents to sooth the irritated membranes. The systemic treatment is 

 purely symptomatic. 



Chronic Poisoning. Administer potassium iodide to hasten the 

 elimination and treat the other conditions symptomatically. 



