434 
POISONING BY PHOSPHORUS AND PYROGALLIC ACID. 
you represent, and I venture to hope you will give the committee the benefit of your 
good offices in procuring a subscription proportionate to the population of your town or 
district. 
It is suggested that the subscriptions of towns of different populations might be gra¬ 
duated somewhat in the following proportions:— 
£. s. d. 
Where the population does not exceed 10,000 .... 5 5 0 
Between 10,000 and 25,000 . 10 10 0 
Between 25,000 and 50,000 . 21 0 0 
Between 50,000 and 75,000 . 30 0 0 
Between 75,000 and 100,000. 50 0 0 
Above 100,000 .. . 100 0 0 
I beg to call your attention to the accompanying list of members of the committee, 
and to inform you that all public bodies subscribing not less than £5. 5s. 0d. will have 
the benefit of the information from time to time as the results of the inquiry partake of 
a conclusive character, and will receive a copy of the report of the committee when 
published. 
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, 
George F. Barnes, Honorary Secretary , pro tern. 
The following are the names of the committee:— 
Richard B. Grantham, Esq., M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S., Chairman . 
J. Bailey Denton, Esq., M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S. 
J. Thornhill Harrison, Esq., M. Inst. C.E. 
Benjamin H. Paul, Esq., Ph.D., F.C.S. 
Professor Wanklyn, F.C.S. 
William Hope, Esq., V.C. 
Professor Williamson, Ph.D., F.R.S. 
Professor Marshall, F.R.S., F.R.C.S. 
Professor Corfield, M.A., M.D. 
M. C. Cooke, Esq., and 
Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., Treasurer. 
Subscriptions should be paid to the eredit of Snt John Lubbock, on behalf of the 
Committee, at Messrs. Robarts, Lubbock, and Co., 15, Lombard Street, London, E.C. 
THE THEORY OF POISONING BY PHOSPHORUS AND 
PYROGALLIC ACID. 
Dr. J. Emerson Reynolds gave a short account of some new experiments on this sub¬ 
ject at the last meeting of the Dublin Scientific Club. The following were the chief 
points referred to:— 
M. Personne recently communicated to the French Academy of Sciences the results 
of some experiments which he regarded as singularly corroborative of his chemical theory 
of the poisonous action of phosphorus on the animal system. He believes that absorbed 
phosphorus poisons by abstracting the oxygen from arterial blood, and so neutralizing 
the aerating functions of the lungs. If this be the true modus operandi of the poison, 
any substance capable of preventing the oxidation of phosphorus ought to prove an 
antidote. It has been long known that the vapour of oil of turpentine greatly inter¬ 
feres with the action of oxygen on phosphorus. The circumstance led M. Personne to 
administer turpentine in several cases of acute poisoning by phosphorus, with the happy 
result of saving human life. Desiring to obtain further proof of the truth of his theory, 
M. Personne sought for some chemical substance capable of absorbing oxygen ■with as 
great avidity as phosphorus does. He speedily fixed upon pyrogallic acid as being most 
suitable for use in further experiments. This substance, when present in a slightly alka¬ 
line fluid , such as blood, has the power of absorbing oxygen with great energy. Two 
healthy dogs were taken, and into the stomach of one a dose of two grains of pure pyro¬ 
gallic acid dissolved in water was injected, while twice this amount was administered to 
the second dog. The animals died after fifty and sixty hours respectively, presenting 
