PHARMACOLOGY OF THALLIUM 
19 
marginal ear veins of Belgian hares weighing 1,530 to 2,250 grams. 
Observations were made from time to time to determine the onset 
of poisoning symptoms and the occurrence of death. The results 
obtained are given in Table 6. The minimum lethal dose of 
thallium, as the sulphate, intravenously injected into rabbits is 25 
milligrams per kilo of bodj^ weight. Identical results were obtained 
in the 1924 and 1927 experiments. 
Table 6. — Toxicity of thallium to rahHts 
Body 
weight 
Dose of 
thallium 
injected, 
milli- 
gram per 
kilogram 
of body 
weight 
Result 
Body 
weight 
Dose of 
thallium 
injerted, 
milli- 
gram per 
kilogram 
of body 
weight 
Result 
2, 250- . 
10 
Survived. 
1,700-. 
50 
Died in 1 day. 
1,800-. 
25 
Died in 1 day. 
1. 750-. 
75 
Do. 
2,035- 
25 
Died in 2 days. 
1, 530.. 
100 
Do. 
2, 220- . 
25 
Do. 
SUMMARY 
LITERATURE 
Thallium forms a series of stable, crystalline, water-soluble salts, 
most important of which are the acetate (CH3COO-TI) and the sul- 
phate (TI2SO4). Quantities as small as 0.002 milligram per liter 
(2 parts per billion) may be detected by the characteristic green 
line in the spectrum. 
Thallium has a strong oligodynamic action on bacteria. 
In acute poisoning in man or animals, marked interference with 
locomotion, paresis or paralysis of the lower posterior limbs, loss of 
appetite, decreased gastric acidity, emesis, diarrhea (which rapidly 
changes to obstinate constipation), a purple-blue line upon the gum 
margins, albuminuria, nephritis, marked respiratory depression, 
and death by asphyxia are noted. In general, the heart and cir- 
culation are not involved. Post-mortem, effusions of blood into the 
lungs, marked irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, and inflamma- 
tory proliferation of the mucosa of the esophagus and cardiac end of 
the stomach are recorded. 
The lethal dose following administration has not been carefully 
determined but is approximately 0.5 milligram per mouse, 25 milli- 
grams per kilo of body weight for rats, and 10 to 15 milligrams per 
kilo for dogs. 
In chronic poisoning, reduction of vision, nephritis, pains in the 
muscles and sciatic nerves, general alopecia, disturbances of the 
endocrine glands, particularly the ovaries, testicles, thyroid, supra- 
renal, and pituitary glands, through action upon the central and 
sympathetic nervous systems, are reported. Cumulative action is 
established. Disturbances in calcium metabolism are reported to 
account for rickets and for checking growth. Thallium is slowly 
eliminated in the tears, milk, and urine, two to three months being 
required for complete elimination of medicinal doses. Human 
