642 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§ 8 l 6 . 
preceded by epileptic fits and coma ; but in the fifth case no con¬ 
vulsions were noted, although they may have occurred in the night. 
The senior author 1 had an opportunity of investigating by chemical 
means the distribution of lead in the fourth and fifth cases in the liver, 
kidney, and brain. 
In the fourth case, from 402 grms. of liver 24*26 mgrms. of lead 
sulphate were separated. The right kidney (weighing 81 grms.) yielded 
5*42 mgrms. of lead sulphate. The brain was dehydrated with alcohol, 
and then treated with ether, hot alcohol, and chloroform until an 
albuminoid residue remained ; lead was extracted from each of these 
portions, viz. the alcohol used for dehydration, the ethereal and chloro¬ 
form extracts, and the albuminoid residue, as follows :— 
Mgrms. of Lead 
Sulphate. 
Soluble in cold alcohol . . . . . . .1-11 
Soluble in ether and chloroform and hot alcohol . . 25-47 
Albuminoid residue . . . . . . .7-76 
34-34 
In the fifth case, the brain was examined more in detail, and the lead 
present estimated in the following solutions and substances :— 
1. Alcohol used for dehydration. This may be called “the watery 
extract,” for, after the brain has remained in strong alcohol for some 
weeks, the result is that the alcohol contains much water and substances 
extracted with water. 
2. White matter— (a) from cerebrum ; (b) from cerebellum. 
3. Kephalin—(a) from cerebrum ; (6) from cerebellum. 
4. Ether extract, kephalin-free—(a) from cerebrum ; ( b ) from cere¬ 
bellum. 
5. Substances soluble in cold alcohol—(a) from cerebrum ; (b) from 
cerebellum. 
6. The albuminoid residue— (a) from cerebrum ; (b) from cerebellum. 
The general results were as follows :— 
Cerebrum, 
460-8 grms. 
Mgrms. of PbS0 4 . 
Cerebellum, 
156-2 grms. 
Mgrms. of PbS0 4 
White matter freed from kephalin by ether . 
0-0 
5-0 
Kephalin ....... 
1-5 
6-0 
Ether extract, kephalin-free .... 
0-0 
0-0 
Substances soluble in cold alcohol. 
0-0 
0-0 
Albuminoid residue ..... 
40-0 
6-0 
41-5 
17-0 
1 “ The Distribution of Lead in the Brains of two Lead Factory Operatives,” 
Journ. of Menial Science, Jan. 1888. 
