A Study of Oxalic Acid Poisoning. 



207 



tions and the following medication : At first bromides and chloral 

 and magnesium sulphate, followed by luminal; later Tr. nux 

 vomica, sodium bicarbonate and veronal. Toward the latter 

 part of his stay in the hospital he was given bismuth subgallate 

 and triple phosphates. It should be noted that no antidotes for 

 oxalic acid were given, as the nature* of the poison, if any, was 

 unknown. Upon analysis the salts of which patient had partaken 

 were found to contain 73 per cent. Mg. S0 4 and 27 per cent, oxalic 

 acid. The patient stated that he took what is estimated to be 

 15 to 18 grams of the salt. This means that he obtained 4 to 

 4.9 grams of oxalic acid. The most common fatal doses are 7 

 to 15 grams, although there is one case on record in which 3.88 

 grams proved fatal. 



The urine was analyzed for oxalates and found to contain 

 9.2 mg. of oxalic acid in 100 c.c. of urine. It also contained al- 

 bumin, white blood cells, red blood cells, hyaline and granular 

 casts. 



The blood was analyzed throughout the patient's stay in the 

 hospital, at intervals of a few days, with the following results: 



Blood Analysis. 



Time Interval in Days. 



4 



10 



14 



19 



25 



28 



3i 



33 





mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



mg. 



Non-protein nitrogen. 



85 



270 



200 



60 



73 



37 



40 



37 



Urea nitrogen 



59 



211 



149 



39 



5i 



16 



17 



17 



Creatinine 



4-3 



5-1 



2-3 



1.6 



1.2 



1.0 



i-5 



1.6 



Uric acid 



4.1 



6.3 



3-2 



i-5 



1.0 





1.2 



i-5 



Sugar 



174 



98 





75 



70 





85 

















Alkaline reserve, per 



















cent 



48 



41 



46 



55 





59 





55 



The study of the chemistry of the blood shows a gradual 

 increase in the excretory products. This finding may be explained 

 by the mechanical effects of the calcium-oxalate deposition in 

 the kidneys, seen at autopsy in similar cases. The highest point 

 was reached on the tenth day. In connection with the accepted 

 view that cases in which creatinine is higher than 5 gm. do not 

 recover, it is interesting to notice that the creatinine in this case 

 was 5.1 mg. on the tenth day. A possible explanation for recovery 



