PHENOL — CARBOLIC ACID 449 



dose for cats, rabbits and dogs ; for the ordinary dog, one-half dram. 

 Horses stand relatively much larger doses; three ounces have been 

 given without causing death, yet one ounce is considered as the 

 minimum fatal dose. Much, however, depends upon the dilution 

 in which administered and the amount of food in the stomach. 

 Hoare gives one ounc^ as the minimum fatal dose for the horse and 

 15 minims to 2 drams for the dog. 



Symptoms of Poisoning. Strong phenol causes salivation, 

 dysphagia, emesis in vomiting animals, intense abdominal pain, due 

 to corrosion, and death in a short time from collapse. If the dose 

 has been too small to produce death by collapse or too diluted to 

 cause corrosion, the symptoms are: salivation, rapid respirations, 

 emesis in vomiting animals, weak rapid pulse, cold extremities, mus- 

 cular weakness, paralysis and in a short time stupor and death from 

 respiratory or cardiac failure. Convulsions may occur but are not 

 common. 



The odor of phenol may be detected on the breath; the urine is 

 dark green or smoky, turns darker on standing and may contain 

 blood. 



Lesions. If death is due to the concentrated form of phenol, 

 there will be white eschars on the mucous membranes of the mouth, 

 esophagus, stomach and possibly the intestines. The kidneys may 

 show acute nephritis on account of excretion of the drug through 

 them. 



Treatment. The local action may be relieved by the applica- 

 tion of alcohol, acetic acid or oils, since phenol is more soluble in 

 them than in the liquids of the tissues. These agents also tend to 

 extract phenol from the tissues as well as to prevent further penetra^ 

 tion. In acute poisoning wash out the stomach and administer lime 

 water or syrup of lime to form an insoluble compound. Alcohol 

 and the soluble sulphates have been recommended as antidotes. 

 Alcohol acts only as a solvent and should be washed out at once to 

 prevent absorption, because alcoholic solutions are easily absorbed 

 and also because alcohol does not prevent systemic action. The sul- 

 phates are supposed to form insoluble harmless products with the 

 phenol in the alimentary tract, but their action is too slow when 

 given per os and hence they have been recommended for intravenous 

 administration, but Sollmann and Brown found that the combina- 

 tion takes place too slowly to be of benefit, no matter how adminis- 

 tered. ^Nevertheless these agents should be given a trial per os. 

 Demulcents should be given liberally. 



Therapeutics. 



1. Caustic. Strong phenol may be used to cauterize small 

 wounds, like dog and snake bites, sloughing wounds or nail pricks. 

 Its action is not very painful and may be checked with alcohol. 



