ON THE EFFECTS OF ACRID POISONS. 
231 
part of the middle portion of the organ. Its free surface was discoloured 
with intermixed and attached particles of food, but the thickness of this 
layer was much less than in the former case. The membrane beneath 
it was but slightly discoloured, except where immediately in contact 
with the arsenic. That portion of the poison which had passed into the 
duodenum was implicated in a mass of coagulated lymph pretty firmly 
adherent to the surface of the membrane; on raising it, the under sur¬ 
face presented numerous bright red bloody points, and a similar appear¬ 
ance was seen on the membrane from which it had been detached. 
Lower down in the intestinal canal I did not discover anything remark¬ 
able. 1 must not omit to observe that in the stomach of the horse, 
where no poison had been taken, the viscid adherent mucous secretion 
is liable to be discoloured on its free surface by adherent particles of 
food, but a little careful attention will distinguish this layer from the 
more membranous character of that produced when arsenic has been 
given. 
The 6th example which 1 shall bring forward is that of a horse poi¬ 
soned with corrosive sublimate, which was given in solution in gruel. 
The symptoms in this case were at least as urgent as in the first case of 
poisoning with arsenic. I have already remarked some of the peculiari¬ 
ties distinguishing this form of poisoning from that in which a solid irri¬ 
tation is applied to the mucous membrane. 
The 7th case is of a very different character from the six pre¬ 
ceding, and appears to me to be worthy of particular attention. A 
pretty strong solution of oxalic acid, containing, 1 believe, rather more 
than a dram of the crystallized acid, was injected into the stomach of a 
dog as in the case of the boiling water. The effect was immediate, and 
death took place in about a quarter of an hour, with symptoms which I 
did not witness and cannot now relate. Death in this case was more 
speedy than I had anticipated, and I was consequently not prepared to 
examine the body for rather more than twelve hours after it had taken 
place. At the opening of the abdomen I was struck with the dryness of 
the peritoneum and the general paleness of the contained viscera. This 
was particularly the case with the intestinal canal. The fat of the epi¬ 
ploon and other parts within the abdomen 'vas also remarkably firm and 
white. The cardiac extremity of the stomacn w ? as flaccid and exhibited 
a dingy colour even on its peritoneal surface. Internally the mucous 
membrane appeared partially removed, as if by solution, at and near this 
part. This and some other parts which were coloured w 7 ere of a brow'n 
or slate colour, the other parts of the stomach were pale and partially 
translucent. I have already noticed the small opake white scattered 
points which I have been induced to regard as follicles. Towards the 
pylorus the mucus on the surface of the membrane w 7 as more abundant 
and opake; the intestinal canal was not only of a whitish colour, as I 
have before stated, but the intestines were unusually firm as if filled 
with a pretty stiff pultaceous substance. On opening it, the coat ap¬ 
peared greatly thickened, but on examination this appearance was found 
to be produced by a thick opake white secretion deposited on the mu¬ 
cous surface, and bearing some similarity to a very thick white fur on 
