Diseases of the Mouth and To-gue. 59 
debility. follows, the hair falls off, the animal becomes 
rapidly emaciated, tremulous, and paralytic, and dies in 
convulsions or delirium. Not unfrequently the face is 
considerably swollen, and the joints are hot and tender, 
Mercurialism also gives rise to a species of eczema (eczema 
mercurtale). See “ Skin Diseases.” 
Treatment.—The most effectual antidotes for poisoning 
by mercury are albuminous compounds, the white of eggs 
being perhaps the best, especially in the case of corrosive 
sublimate. 
Christison, waieng® on the subject, observes: “It has 
already been hinted that albumen, in the form of white of 
eggs beat up with water, impairs or destroys the corrosive 
properties of bichloride of mercury, by decomposing it, and 
producing an insoluble mercurial compound. For this 
discovery, and the establishment of albumen as an 
antidote, medicine is indebted to Professor Orfila. He 
has related many satisfactory experiments in proof 
of its virtues. The following will serve as an example 
ot the whole. Twelve grains of corrosive sublimate 
were given to a little dog, and allowed to act for 
eight minutes, so that its usual effects might fairly begin 
before the antidote was administered. White of eight eggs 
was then given ; after several fits of vomiting the animal 
became apparently free from pain ; and in five days it was 
quite well.* According to Peschier, the white of one egg 
is required to render four grains of the poison innocuous.t 
The experiments of the Parisian toxicologist have been 
repeated and confirmed by others, and particularly by 
_ Schloepfer; who found that when a dose was given to a 
rabbit sufficient to kill it in seven minutes if allowed to 
act uncontrolled, the administration of albumen, just as 
the signs of uneasiness appeared, prevented every serious 
* Toxicologie Général, i. 313. 
¢ Corvisart’s Journal de Médicine, xxxviii. 77. 
