. / 11 SORPTION 13 Y THE SKIN IN MA N 6 8 7 
method, could observe no absorption of absolute alcohol by his own skin 
in an hour and a half, and Kilter 1 denies entirely the absorption of 
alcohol or alcoholic solutions of salts by the human skin. Winternitz 2 
got spectroscopic evidence of lithium in the urine after keeping the 
skin of the arm in contact with an ethereal solution (with a little added 
alcohol) for three and a half hours, but missed the effect with a purely 
alcoholic solution. The last-mentioned observer also denies the state- 
ment of Parisot, 3 that solutions of atropine in alcohol and chloroform, 
applied to the forehead, cause mydriasis. 
It would appear that previous removal of the grease of the skin 
by ether allows a slight absorption of watery solutions to take place, 
for Winternitz 4 got traces of lithium in the urine on applying a watery 
solution of the chloride to the skin cleaned with ether, but not till nine 
hours after the application. 
If a substance applied to the skin is volatile at the temperature 
of the body, the vapour may possibly pass into the capillary spaces 
between the epidermic cells, and dissolve in the fluid in the sweat 
ducts, and so finally reach the blood vessels, and be absorbed ; but in 
experiments with such substances the greatest precautions must be 
taken to exclude absorption by the respiratory tract, and again with 
human skin the results of different observers are conflicting. Rohrig's 5 
positive results with tincture of iodine are denied by Fleischer, 6 who, 
wearing a mask with a tube to the outer air, found no iodine in the 
urine up till six hours after an application to the skin of the back for 
one and a half hours. Next morning Fleischer found iodine in the 
urine, but this may have been absorbed by the lungs during sleep, 
or the result of the destructive action of the substance on the 
epidermis. Mesnil, 7 placing the arm in a Mosso's plethysmograph, filled 
with vapour of iodine, could get no evidence of absorption after thirty- 
two hours' exposure. On the other hand, guaiacol is asserted by several 
observers to be absorbed. 8 
Oily solutions and unguents, since they " wet " the skin, one would 
expect to be capable of absorption, but such substances are viscous and 
must be mechanically forced into the intercellular spaces and hair 
follicles, if any marked effect is to be obtained. According to Winter- 
nitz, 9 the mere application of oily solutions of veratrine and aconitine to 
the skin of man is without effect. Baschkis and Obermayer 10 obtained 
evidence of presence of lithium in the urine three hours after rubbing 
in an ointment of lithium carbonate, oleic acid, and lanoline, but 
Fleischer n could not obtain evidence of absorption of unguents holding 
potassium iodide, veratrine, morphia, quinine, and salicylate of soda, nor 
could Fubini and Pierini n find salicylic acid in urine after painting a 
solution in oil of almonds on the hand and forearm. 
But the most important case is that of mercurial ointment, which is 
undoubtedly absorbed into the system. In this, in addition to fine 
1 Diss., Erlangen, 18S3. 2 Loc. at. 
3 Compt. rend. Acad. d. sc, Paris, 1863, tome lvii. p. 327. 4 Loc. cit. 
5 Loc. cit. . 6 Loc. cit. 
7 Centralbl. f. Physiol., Leipzig u. Wien, 1894, Bd. vii. S. 775. ref. 
8 Sciolla, "Cronaca della clinica medica di Genova," 1892-93, p. 191 ; Linossier and 
Larmois, Compt. rend. Soc. de. biol., Paris, 1894, pp. 108-110 and pp. 214-215 ; Guinard 
and Stourbe, ibid., 1S94, pp. 180-182. 
9 Loc. cit. 10 Centralbl. f. klin. Med., Bonn, Bd. xii. S. 65. 
11 Loc. cit. 12 Loc. cit. 
