402 
ON PHOSPHORUS AS A POISON. 
By C. W. Bingley, M.D., 
Lecturer on Chemistry to the Sheffield School of Medicine. 
Dr. Bingley having recorded a case of a man, aged 50, 
an habitual drunkard, who had taken phosphorus for the 
purpose of committing suicide, which soon proved effegtual in 
destroying life, as he was seen in his usual state of health 
about twelve o’clock on the night previous, and early on the 
following morning his dead body was discovered in a field 
about two miles and a half distant, proceeds to observe — 
“Being anxious to ascertain the exact physiological effects 
of this substance, I made some experiments on animals some 
months ago, in concert with Dr. Harley, of University Col- 
lege, London. We first gave to a frog two pills, containing 
one grain each of Both and Ringeisen’s phosphor paste. 
The animal appeared to suffer no inconvenience from the 
dose during twelve hours, when it voided by stool both pills, 
apparently unchanged. It was found dead, and in a state of 
rigor mortis, thirty-six hours after the pills had been 
administered. The post-mortem examination revealed no 
abnormal appearance. 
“To another full-grown frog, Dr. Harley and myself gave 
two fluid drachms of a saturated solution of phosphorus in 
oil ; the frog was put into a large glass jar, which soon 
became filled with the fumes of phosphorus emitted from the 
mouth and nostrils of the animal. The frog died in the 
course of twelve hours after taking the solution. On opening 
the body, no sign existed to indicate death by poison. 
“ To a kitten about three months old, Dr. Harley and my- 
self gave five grains of the phosphor paste, repeating the 
dose twenty-four hours afterwards. No symptoms of poison- 
ing having manifested themselves within ninety-six hours 
after the first administration of the poison, the animal was 
made to swallow other twenty grains of the paste; in an 
hour afterwards it was seized with frequent fits of vomiting, 
followed by twitchings and violent convulsions, evidencing 
extreme suffering, until death ensued in rather less than an 
hour after the vomiting commenced. 
“ On a post-mortem examination, the pulmonary vessels 
were found full of venous blood. The right side of the 
heart was engorged with blood; the left side empty; a 
tea-spoonful of serum in the pericardium. Gall-bladder 
quite empty and shrivelled up. Hepatic veins engorged. 
