204 



Scientific Proceedings (121). 



95 (1842) 

 A study of oxalic-acid poisoning. 



By SAMUEL A. BROWN and ALEXANDER O. GETTLER. 



[From the Chemical Laboratory of The University and Bellevue 

 Hospital Medical College and oj the Pathological Department, 

 Bellevue Hospital, New York City.] 



The earliest case of oxalic-acid poisoning, reported by Royston, 

 occurred in England, in 1814. Since then, the number of deaths 

 due to oxalic acid and its soluble salts has so increased that today 

 it ranks among the first three poisons in the number of fatalities. 

 A. W. Blyth states that in the five years between 1912 and 1916, 

 there were 448 deaths in England and Wales due to oxalic acid. 



The duration of a case of oxalic-acid poisoning is usually be- 

 tween 2 and 14 days. There is one case on record by Ogilvie 

 {Lancet, 1845) however where death occurred within 3 minutes. 



Oxalic acid acts locally as a corrosive and also as a systemic 

 poison. Locally it is more or less destructive to the mucous 

 membrane with which it comes in contact. The lips, tongue, 

 pharynx and esophagus are discolored yellowish white, sometimes 

 marked with patches of a reddish hue. The mucous surface of the 

 stomach is coarsely corrugated and presents a bright red color 

 both in the elevations and depressions; this may change to brown 

 or even black by postmortem action. In some cases the mucous 

 surface is in part or in whole pale, opaque or translucent, and 

 marked by a coarse ramiform vascularity of the submucous tissue. 

 The mucous membrane is soft, pulpy, eroded in patches, thrown 

 into folds, and is easily detached. Perforation is rare. 



The systematic effects are attested by falling of the blood 

 pressure, arhythmia and retardation of the pulse, slow breathing, 

 paralytic symptoms and fibrillary muscular contractions. Some 

 consider it a poison acting on the extracardiac ganglia. The 

 red blood corpuscles are destroyed^ with consequent fatty degen- 

 eration of the tissues. The activity of the muscles is diminished 

 consequent upon loss of irritability. The respiratory muscles are 

 paralyzed. 



