10 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 2 3 8, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
milligrams per kilo. Three boys receiving this dose died after 
several days. 
Pharmacological and toxicological studies of thallium (77, 81^ 
115^ 128^ 129) have been made during the past few years. 
Swelling of the gums, the development of a blue line at the junc- 
tion with the teeth {122) ; general muscular atrophy, especially of 
the jaw and spine; cardiac depression {127) \ and cardiac lesions 
{100) ; hypochlorhydria or achlorlwdria {6If^ 75) ; disturbances in 
calcium metabolism (^^) ; severe injury to the thyroid gland {56,64) ; 
pains in the legs and sciatic nerves after 300 to 500 milligrams of 
thallium acetate to adults (79) or children {118) ; and eosinophilia 
and leucocA^tosis {75) have been recorded following the ingestion of 
thallium medicinally. Bl3^th {10) recorded the elimination of thal- 
lium in the tears, milk, and urine; he, as Avell as Fasani (7i), stated 
that the same symptoms are produced in man as in animals, and that 
poisoning occurs through action on the nervous system. 
Kaps {90) gives a good summary of the symptoms produced in 
criminal (fatal) subacute thallium poisoning: (1) A short period of 
excessive gastrointestinal pain, emesis, nausea, colic, and diarrhea, 
which soon changes to obstinate constipation; (2) disorders of the 
central and vegetative nervous system — conjunctivitis, blepharitis, 
alopecia totalis, acute suppurative dermatitis of the face, acropares- 
thesias, sensitiveness of the muscles and joints, which increases upon 
pressure, retrobulbar neuritis, amaurosis, and a decline of the psychic 
functions to complete dementia; and (3) degeneration of the heart, 
liver, and kidneys. The mechanism of thallium poisoning following 
subcutaneous injection must be sought in the action upon the central 
and vegetative nervous systems, with secondary disturbances of the 
nervous regulation of the endocrine glands. In a survey of indus- 
trial poisonings among thallium workers, Meyer {109) and Teleky 
{14^) report reduction of vision, cataract, and nephritis. Among the 
principal symptoms noted were pains in the legs, loss of hair, dis- 
turbances of sensation and the sympathetic nervous system; endo- 
crine involvements of various sorts; and lymphocytosis, which 
increased after work was stopped. 
MEDICINAL USES 
FOR COTXIQUATTVE SWE1A.TS OF PHTHISIS 
To check the night sweats of phthisis, Combemale {50) in 1898 
recommended a dose of 100 milligrams of thallium acetate at bedtime 
for not to exceed four successive nights. Its value was reaffirmed 
by Huchard {86) and by Buschke 05). Three subsequent papers, 
however, were published in 1898 stressing the danger of such medi- 
cation. Vassaux {144) recorded marked pain in the calves of the 
legs and in the peripheral nerves after doses of 100 and 200 milli- 
grams of thallium acetate. Dubreilh {68) obtained alopecia. Jean- 
selme {88) administered 30 milligrams of thallium acetate three 
times a day for three days (a total of 270 milligrams), which 
decreased the sweating but produced pains in the abdomen and legs; 
after two weeks, profuse alopecia with permanent injury to some of 
the hair follicles resulted. Chemical analysis of the hair failed to 
show the presence of thallium. Because of its toxicity thallium 
is not used for this purpose in present-day medical practice. 
