MINEEAL OE INOEGANIC POISONS 83 



Cerebral symptoms may be treated with bromide or chloral 

 hydrate. 



Chemical Diagnosis. — Salt may be separated from 

 organic matter most readily by diffusion or dialysis. 

 Cameron found 3 grains of sodium chloride in a teaspoon- 

 ful of the semi-fluid contents of the stomach, whilst 

 Herapath' found in similar contents 42 grains to the pint. 

 In the case of the fowls^ salt formed 14 per cent, of the 

 crop contents. As is to be expected, these proportions are 

 very high, and they show that the chemical diagnosis of 

 salt poisoning is a matter presenting little difficulty, even 

 allowing for the fact that sodium chloride is a normal con- 

 stituent of the body fluids. 



EEFERENCES TO SALT. 



1 Suffran, Jl. Comp. Path., 1910, p. 71. 



2 Lamoureux, Vet. Jl., 1890, p. 116. 



3 C. A. Cameron, Veterinarian, 1871, p. 883. 

 ■* Abstract, Veterinwrian, 1870, p. 635. 



* H. Pyatt, Veterina/rian, 1862, p. 768. 



* T, Gregory, Veterinarian, 1859, p. 251. 



'' W. Eobmson, Veterina/rian, 1859, p. 124. 

 8 Eeynal, Veterinarian, 1856, p. 356. 

 ' Lewis, Veterinarian, 1856, p. 518. 

 '" G. H. Lepper, Veterinarian, 1856, p. 434. 



NITRATES. 



Soiirces and Doses.— The nitrates of sodium and of 

 potassium have both been known to give rise to poisoning, 

 the general character of which is not unlike that of salt 

 poisoning, and attention was draw to the question at an 

 early date.^'^ Sodium nitrate is very commonly used in 

 the form of Chili saltpetre as a manure, and may be 

 confused with Glauber salt (or sodium sulphate). The 

 toxic doses of the nitrates are, for large animals, at 

 ■least 8 ounces. Prominence must, however, be given to 

 the observations of S. M. Smith,^ who gave potassium 

 nitrate to two bullocks in 8-ounce doses per diem, increased 



