Am.Joiir.phaini.|    Poisouing  by  Anarcadium  Occidentale.  281 
June,  1881. 
POISONING  BY  ANACAKDIUM  OCCIDENTALE. 
By  Henry  Fi.sher. 
The  writer,  while  eDQ^aged  in  makiijg  an  acetic  extract  of  anacarclinni 
occidentale,  in  which  he  was  obliged  to  use  heat  with  the  object  of 
reducing  a  liquid  extract  of  said  drug  to  a  solid  consistence,  met  with 
the  following  severe  experience. 
As  there  was  no  draught  of  air  to  dissipate  the  futnes  as  they  arose 
during  the  process  of  the  manufacture,  the  operator  necessarily  l^eing 
subjected  to  them,  was  unconsciously  receiving  their  effects  in  the 
parts  of  his  face  and  neck  that  were  exposed;  this  transpired  in  the 
afternoon.  The  first  evidence  of  ill  effects  that  he  experienced  was  a 
slight  itching,  attended  by  a  burning  sensation  on  touching  the  fore- 
head, which  occurred  during  the  night  after  he  had  retired.  Upon 
rising  in  the  morning,  not  imagining  any  ill-effects  from  the  experi- 
ence of  the  afternoon  previous,  lie  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the 
condition  in  which  he  found  his  head,  which  appeared  to  be  in  an 
indefinable  abnormal  state.  Upon  gazing  into  a  mirror,  it  was  found 
that  the  forehead  and  the  surface  surrounding  the  right  eye  were  so 
swollen  and  inflamed  as  to  interfere  with  the  sight  of  that  organ  of 
sense,  the  left  being  but  slightly  swollen.  He  continued  his  daily 
avocation  under  much  difficulty,  owing  to  the  pain  and  swelling  of  the 
face,  which  continued  to  grow  more  intense  each  moment,  until  at  last 
towards  the  close  of  the  day  he  was  obliged  to  appeal  to  a  neighboring 
physician  for  advice,  as  his  face  had  become  so  swollen  as  to  almost 
obscure  the  sight.  It  was  thought,  as  the  nature  of  burns  was  acid, 
that  an  alkali  would  obviate  the  trouble.  This  was  accordingly 
promptly  resorted  to  in  the  form  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium.  After  a 
half  hour's  intense  pain  from  this  treatment,  with  no  perceptible  effect 
further  than  to  excite  the  inflamed  parts,  it  was  relinquished,  and, 
on  the  physician's  advice,  cloths  saturated  with  cold  water  were  applied 
during  the  remainder  of  the  evening,  affording  slight  relief.  It  the 
morning  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  use  a  solution  of  acetate  of  lead 
and  water.  Accordingly,  the  parts  affected  were  bathed,  and  cloths 
saturated  with  the  solution  were  applied  frequently.  The  effect  of 
this  treatment  was  transient,  and  only  existed  while  the  surface  was 
moistened  with  the  solution,  affording  relief  and  tending  to  check 
further  inflamation  and  swelling.  The  next  morning  the  eyes  were 
closed,  and  the  swelling,  together  with  the  inflammation,  had  extended 
