190 



Scientific Proceedings (54). 



2. Toxicity of White Leads When Fed to Dogs and Cats. 



The lead carbonate is much more toxic than the lead sulphate. 

 But both salts produce acute lead poisoning when given in quan- 

 tities of 0.1 gr. per kilo body weight daily. 



3. The Influence of Milk. 



When milk and gastric juice is mixed in the proportion of 

 I— I, the hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice is so completely- 

 fixed by the milk proteins or neutralized by the carbonates in the 

 milk that the mixture has virtually no solvent action on the lead 

 salts, but when gastric juice is present in excess the lead salts g. 

 into solution in proportion to the excess of the gastric juice 

 When milk is taken into the stomach there occurs, of course, a 

 similar fixation of the hydrochloric acid, and, in addition, the total 

 quantity of gastric juice is diminished owing to the inhibitory 

 action of the fats in the milk on the processes of secretion. 



On the basis of our work we venture to offer these two practical 

 suggestions: (1) The lead carbonate is so much more toxic than the 

 lead sulphate that lead workers as well as the state should aim at 

 the elimination of the use of the carbonate in all industries where 

 this is possible. (2) In addition to taking other important pro- 

 phylactic measures, the lead workers should drink a glass of milk 

 between meals (say 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.) in order to diminish the 

 chances for any swallowed lead to be dissolved by free hydrochloric 

 acid of the gastric juice, as in some persons there is considerable 

 secretion of gastric juice in the empty stomach. 1 



1 Hornborg, Skand. Arch. f. Physiologic 1904, XV, p. 209; Carlson, Am. Jour, 

 of Physiology, 1912, XXXI, p. 151. 



