ACTION OF MERCURY AND ITS SALTS 163 



faces or mucous membranes. Corrosive sublimate is one of the slowest 

 acting, most powerful and frequently used antiseptics.. The germicidal 

 action of mercury salts is due to their habit of combining with albumin 

 wherever it exists and forming the albuminate of mercury. Thus they 

 act on bacteria and in so doing destroy germ life. The caustic action of 

 the soluble salts of mercury may be explained by the fact that when the 

 salts are dissociated by contact with the tissues the metallic and acid 

 ions are corrosive. Moreover, like the other salts of the heavy metals^ 

 they precipitate the proteids of the tissues with which they come in con- 

 tact, but, unlike them, the mercury albuminate thus formed is soluble to 

 some extent in the fluids of the body and therefore does not protect the 

 surface from the further action of the salt. The antiseptic effect of corro- 

 sive sublimate is lessened by this action since the salt is decomposed in 

 contact with albumin and the coagulated proteid prevents it from reaching 

 germs. By the addition of salt, hydrochloric or tartaric acid to solutions 

 of corrosive sublimate the union of mercury with albumin is materially 

 prevented and such combination (with tartaric acid) is provided in the 

 tablets sold for surgical purposes. 



Corrosive sublimate is more irritant to the tissues than carbolic acid, 

 creolin or lysol, and cannot penetrate raw surfaces so well to reach 

 germs (on account of its coagulating proteids), and cannot be used in 

 contact with metallic instruments since mercury is deposited upon them 

 through decomposition of this salt. The salts of mercury kill the lower 

 forms of animal as well as vegetable life, and are valuable in the treat- 

 ment of parasitic skin diseases. As a rule, antiseptics relieve itching, 

 and the mercury salts are often used to combat this condition. Mercury 

 and its salts are absorbed when rubbed into the unbroken skin, particu- 

 larly when in combination with oil or grease. 



Metallic mercury and its salts (notably the iodide), when rubbed 

 well into the skin with fat, are thought to aid the absorption of inflam- 

 matory exudates in underlying parts. 



Internnl. — The irritant salts of mercury, as the bichloride, iodide, 

 nitrate, and some of the oxides, in large doses, produce gastro-enteritis, 

 vomiting, colic, bloody diarrhea, anuria, or urine holding albumin and 

 casts (nephritis), collapse and death. A subacute form of poisoning 

 also occurs with colic, diarrhea or dysentery and anuria and death may 

 occur after days from gastro-enteritis or nephritis. The immediate treat- 

 ment consists in giving whites of eggs and milk to form non-corrosive 

 albuminates, and these should be removed by washing the stomach with 

 milk. Afterwards give milk and linseed tea as demulcents. The kidneys 

 are stimulated to elimination by a milk diet and, every 2 hours, by a 

 diuretic mixture of potassium bitartrate (H., §i. ; D., 3ss.), and milk 

 sugar (H., giv.; D.. 3ii.), dissolved in boiling water and given with as 

 much water as possible. Mercury stomatitis is treated by swabbing the 

 mouth several times daily with hydrogen dioxide, diluted with 3 parts 

 of water and containing a little sodium bicarbonate, and by application 

 of tincture of iodine to the gums once or twice daily. Vincent's angina 

 organisms appear to be responsible for the inflammation in tissues of the 



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