494 On the Modus Operandi of Phosphorus, S^'c. 



suing, were of a secondary character, arising out of the gastric 

 and intestinal injury, and need not be pursued at present ; since 

 they are not to be anticipated from the prudent and judicious 

 employment of the article, when administered as a remedy. 



The experiments of Orfila, related in the first volume of his 

 Toxicology, very nearly agree in their results, with those of the 

 experiments described by Dr. Harlan. I shall notice but one or 

 two of them, previously remarking, that Orfila appears to ascribe 

 the injury of the stomach, rather to the acid formed, than to the 

 preceding combustion : for he says, that " it gives rise to these 

 symptoms, by combining with the oxygen of the air contained in 

 the alimentary canal, and gives birth to phosphorous, and pro- 

 bably to phosphoric acid, in such manner ^ that the corrosion depends 

 upon the action of these acids and that "whenever it is introduced 

 in cylinders, phosphorous acid is constantly formed, which cor- 

 rodes the portions of the membranes with which it comes in contact ; 

 and that hence, the inflammation ought to be greatest, where the 

 greatest possible quantity of phosphorous acid is formed ;" that 

 is, in the stomach and superior intestines, where the greatest 

 amount of oxygen exists. 



That he should ascribe so much to the acid, surprises me ; 

 seeing, that when speaking of the action of phosphoric acid 

 itself (p. 369) upon the animal economy, he tells us, that when 

 ?ifew grains of phosphoric acid, dissolved in a very small quantity 

 of water, are injected into the veins, the blood becomes coagu- 

 lated, and the animal dies in the course of one or two minutes ; 

 but that if the acid he weakened, it does not produce any incon- 

 venience : and that introduced into the stomach, it destroys life 

 at the end of a variable space of time, according to its concentra- 

 tion and dose. In the experiment connected with this, he accord- 

 ingly gave to a small dog, thirty grains of phosphoric acid, in a 

 drachm of water ; which, after some considerable suffering, 

 caused his death, but not until after twenty-three hours. On 

 dissection, the mucous membrane of the stomach, and the inte- 

 rior of the duodenum, were found of a deep red. It does not, how- 

 ever, appear, that any evidence existed of the destruction of those 

 coats, as he invariably found, on giving the phosphorus itself. 

 Now, if thirty grains of acid produced results so slow, and com- 

 paratively trifling, it is unreasonable to suppose, that the amount 

 of acid from one or two grains of phosphorus taken, could be 



