76 VETEEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



nerve. In toxic doses coma, insensibility, and paralysis 

 follow the first transient period of violent excitation. 

 Ammonia and its salts are transformed in the liver into 

 urea and excreted as such in the urine. 



The corrosive effects of strong ammonia are marked in 

 the mucous membranes of the mouth and pharynx, and 

 in addition the simultaneous inhalation of the gas gives 

 rise to the bronchial disturbances characteristic of it, the 

 swelling of the membranes of the larynx and trachea often 

 causing asphyxia. The tendency to the formation, as a 

 secondary effect, of false membranes is noteworthy. 



The effect of ammonia on the blood is first one of 

 deoxidation, followed by dissolution of the corpuscles, and 

 formation of haematin from the haemoglobin. The proteins 

 combine to form soluble ammonia albuminates, and the 

 blood becomes incoagulable, and dark brown or black in 

 colour. 



Symptoms. — Recorded instances of death from ammonia 

 poisoning among animals are rare, but reference is made in 

 the Jmirnal of 1906, p. 526, to a case observed in Belgium 

 by Verlinde. A steel cylinder of compressed ammonia fell 

 from a dray, and, being smashed, involved the driver and 

 team for some time in an atmosphere heavily charged 

 ■with ammonia gas. Similar accidents have been recorded 

 amongst operatives of ammonia refrigerating plants. The 

 symptoms observed in the horses were — cauterization of the 

 mucous membranes of eyes, nostrils, and cornea ; the buccal 

 epithelia exfoliated in large flakes, exposing raw and inflamed 

 surfaces, from which blood exuded ; * bloodstained discharge 

 from both nostrils, which were partially obstructed by 

 cedematous swelling; the eyes were closed, eyelids swollen, 

 and tears flowed; respiration laboured and panting. On 

 the next day the observations were — dull, depressed, pulse 60, 

 respirations 26, temperature 39° C, no appetite. Intense 

 photophobia keratitis and muco-purulent conjunctivitis, with 

 profuse yellow discharge mixed with flakes of epithelium 



* The writer once experienced the same effects in the laboratory 

 through incautiously sucking ammonia solution from a pipette. 



