TOXIC GASTBO-ENTEBITIS. 



219 



intestinal raucous membrane (Franze); ulcerations of the respir- 

 atory mucous membrane (Siedamgrotzky). Caseous or tuberculous 

 broncho-pneumonia as a secondary lesion. 



Treatment. Prophylactic. Be careful to discard all fodder 

 which might be covered with arsenical dust. Treat symptomat- 

 ically the diarrhea, as well as the emaciation and weakness. 



The disease produced by vapors from high furnaces in the neigh- 

 borhood of Freiberg must be considered as a chronic arsenical . in- 

 toxication, judging from the description given of it by Haubner. 

 The smoke of these furnaces is mainly formed by sulphuric acid 

 and arsenous acid, with which are associated small quantities of 

 lead and zinc vapors and traces of earthy matter. Lead and zinc 

 cannot play any poisonous rôle here ; on the other hand, sulphuric 

 acid does not exist in the dust which covers all plants in the 

 environs and occasions poisoning. The poisoning under considera- 

 tion, therefore, can only be produced by arsenic ; besides, arsenic 

 is found in all the organs of animals which succumb to the intoxi- 

 cation. Pneumonia through inhalation of foreign bodies, described 

 by Haubner and Siedamgrotzky under the name of " caseous pneu- 

 monia induced by fumes from high furnaces,'^ is nothing^ but 

 a true tuberculous broncho-pneumonia, in which the inhalation 

 of dusts from the furnaces acts as a predisposing cause, favoring 

 the penetration of the respiratory mucous membrane by Koch's 

 bacilli. 



The ingestion of considerable quantities of arsenical dust may 

 also produce acute poisoning. 



The "acid disease'' (anemia and osteomalacia), attributed by 

 Haubner to sulphuric acid contained in the smoke of furnaces, has 

 nothing in common with chronic arsenical poisoning. 



8. Poisoning by Phosphorus. 



Symptoms. They are : colics, vomitings, complaints, icterus, 

 albuminuria, dysphagia, tumefaction of the tongue ; paresis, trem- 

 bling ; acceleration of the pulse and respiration, fever ; hemorrhages 

 when the disease has a tendency to become chronic. The inha- 

 lation of phosphorus vapors produces cough, dyspnœa, and sub- 

 cutaneous emphysema upon the neck, shoulders, and thorax, also 



1 Johne : Sachs. Jahresber., 1882. 



