42 VETEEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



flammation, probably by neutralising the acidity of the 

 stomach. 



In dealing with an emergency case of arsenical poisoning 

 in the ox, horse, or sheep, one may precipitate tincture of 

 iron perchloride with soda carbonate, filter through a hand- 

 kerchief, and give ad lib. in warm water. Dialysed iron, 

 ■1^ to 1 ounce for dogs and 6 to 15 ounces for horses and 

 cattle, may be given. 



As demulcents, oil or equal parts of oil and lime water or 

 linseed tea are given. 



Hypodermic injection of morphia is desirable if there is 

 much pain, and in case of prostration strychnine and ether, 

 also hypodermically. 



Chemical Diagnosis. — More attention has probably been 

 bestowed on the methods of detecting traces of arsenic 

 than has been devoted to any other analytical process. 

 The epidemic of arsenical poisoning through beer led to 

 the establishment of refined standard methods, and laid 

 , new emphasis on the extremely wide distribution of this 

 element and the need of caution against its presence in 

 laboratory reagents. It may, indeed, be not unfairly 

 assumed that in many cases in which very small amounts 

 of arsenic have been detected it occurred not in the 

 materials examined, but in the chemical agents used for 

 its detection. Complete destruction of organic matter by 

 heating with strong sulphuric acid, or its partial destruction 

 by means of hydrochloric acid and potassium chlorate, are 

 standard methods, the latter being favoured by German 

 toxicologists. A method also favoured by the latter experts 

 consists in distillation of the volatile arsenious chloride 

 from organic matter and hydrochloric acid. In our ex- 

 perience none of these methods offers any advantage over 

 the older Reinsch process of concentrating the arsenic on 

 pure copper by boiling with dilute hydrochloric acid. Very 

 little chemical need be added, and the organic matter need 

 not be destroyed. The delicacy of the method amply 

 suffices, since very clear results are given by ttjVct grain of 

 arsenious oxide in 4 ounces of organic matter. The arsenic 



