MINEEAL OE INOEGANIC POISONS 57 



in the experimental poisoning of cattle with repeated doses 

 of sublimate. 



Treatment. — Chemical antidotes are white of egg, which 

 precipitates albuminate, and thus checks the corrosive 

 action. Sulphur, or liver of sulphur, acts by forming the 

 insoluble sulphide. Potassium chlorate tends to counteract 

 the salivation characteristic of chronic mercurialism, whilst 

 potassium iodide is thought to hasten elimination. 



When the injury is due to an ointment, the skin should 

 be thoroughly cleansed with warm soda or soap solution. 



Chemical Diag^nosis. — Mercury is deposited on copper 

 in the well-known Reinsch test, the delicacy being about 

 Tw grain of mercury in 2 ounces of organic matter. 

 Deposition ensues even when one has to deal with mercurial 

 organic compounds, such as must be formed in the liver, for 

 these are broken down by the hydrochloric acid used. 

 Distinct globules, which may be collected and weighed, are 

 obtained on heating the coated copper in a dry tube. If 

 only traces are present, the sublimate on heating the 

 copper should be treated with iodine vapour, when the 

 formation of mercuric iodide, yellow when freshly heated, 

 and gradually changing to scarlet on keeping, affords a 

 most characteristic reaction. Mercury is also separated as 

 the sulphide in the nitric acid process of extraction of 

 organic matter. The sulphide may be dissolved in hydro- 

 chloric acid with the addition of a scrap of potassium 

 chlorate, and the solution of mercuric chloride then 

 reduced to insoluble calomel, and eventually to metallic 

 mercury by means of stannous chloride. This is also a 

 delicate reaction, but is less characteristic than the iodide 

 test. 



Failure to obtain a positive result with the iodide reaction 

 must be taken as a decisive negative to the question of the 

 presence of mercury. 



From the medico-legal standpoint it will have to be 

 established that no mercurial preparation has been given. 

 After perfectly safe and legitimate dosage of calomel, 

 mercury is very easily found, especially in the alimentary 



