G ASTRO ENTERITIS FROM CAUSTIC ACIDS. 



Sulphuric acid, corrodes, blackens, dysphagia, salivation, retching, vomit- 

 ing, colics, collapse. Lesions. Test, barium nitrate. Nitric acid, cor- 

 rodes, stains yellow, or brown. Test, reddish fumes with copper and sul- 

 phuric acid. Muriatic acid, corrodes, whitens. Test, chlorine odor, white 

 curdy precipitate with silver nitrate. Oxalic acid, colic, emesis of black 

 bloody matter, gastric mucosa red or black, blood bright red, lowered res- 

 piration, innervation, temperature. Acetic acid, congestion, softening of 

 gastric mucosa, may stop heart. Treatment : weak bases, magnesia, lime 

 or their carbonates, soap, lime water, demulcents. 



Sulphuric Acid. This acts on .stomach and intestine as on 

 the mouth abstracting water and blackening the ti.ssues. It pro- 

 duces dysphagia, salivation, retching, vomiting in carnivora and 

 omnivora, colics, and collapse. Sometimes the urine becomes al- 

 buminous or bloody. The post mortem blackness of the contents 

 and walls of stomach and intestine and their intense acidity are 

 characteristic. Nitrate of baryta will precipitate the insoluble 

 sulphate. 



Nitric Acid. In concentrated state this acts in the main like 

 the .sulphuric acid, but stains the lips yellow, and the mucosae 

 white changing to citron yellow or brown and does not precipi- 

 tate baryta. It gives reddish fumes with copper and .strong sul- 

 phuric acid. 



Muriatic Acid. This is le.ss caustic than nitric or sulphuric 

 acid, and may be recognized by its white cauterized patches on 

 the mucosa of the mouth, stomach and inte,stines, its chlorine 

 odor, and the curdy precipitate which it throws down with silver 

 nitrate. It does not corrode the skin. In the stomach this acid 

 is normally present in the free state. 



Oxalic Acid. I^ethal dose, dog 15 grs. , cat 2 grs. When 

 swallowed this causes colics, eme.sis in vomiting animals, 

 the rejected matters being black and perhaps bloody. After 

 death the gastric contents and walls and tho.se of the bowels 

 are congested and more or less blackened, and the blood of 

 a bright red color. Heart is arythmic, respiration slow, 

 paresis of-limbs, spasms, temperature subnormal. 



Acetic Acid. This causes congestion and softening of the 



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