398 
Action  of  Garholic  Acid,  etc. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t     Sept.  1,  1871. 
of  removing  the  odor  of  assafoetida  has  long  been  known,  and  ad- 
vantage taken  of  this  property  by  M.  Maheir,  a  French  pharmaceutist, 
to  remove  the  odor  from  mortars  and  bottles  with  which  it  came  in 
contact ;  but  I  am  unaware  that  the  fact  has  ever  been  applied  to  its 
administration  as  a  medical  agent. 
York  City,  August  2d,  1871. 
ACTION   OF   CARBOLIC   ACID   AND    CREASOTB   UPON  THE 
ORGANISM, 
By  Dr.  Th.  Husemann.* 
The  author  discusses  the  various  physiological  and  toxicological 
observations  made  by  medical  men  with  the  two  chemicals,  which,  by 
chemists,  physicians  and  pharmacists,  have  been  frequently  con- 
founded. Dr.  J.  Ummethun  has  instituted  comparative  experiments 
upon  frogs,  pigeons,  cats,  rabbits  and  dogs,  and  from  these  and  other 
observations  the  author  arrives  at  the  following  conclusions  : 
1.  Both  creasote  and  carbolic  acid  exert  a  decided  local  and  gen- 
eral action  upon  the  animal  organism. 
2.  The  local  effect  of  carbolic  acid,  undiluted  or  in  concentrated 
solution,  is  more  energetic  than  that  of  creasote  ;  the  former  is  caustic,, 
while  the  latter  merely  causes  irritation  and  inflammation.  The  in- 
fluence upon  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach  and  crop  is  more 
intense  with  the  former. 
3.  The  toxical  eff'ect  of  carbolic  acid  is  likewise  much  stronger. 
Its  lethal  dose  in  subcutaneous  injection  was  found  to  be  6  mgms.  for 
frogs  and  0*1  grm.  for  pigeons;  and  when  given  internally  0*45  grm. 
for  rabbits,  0*5  grm.  for  cats  and  2*5  grms.  for  medium  sized  dogs. 
The  injection  of  creasote  proved  fatal  only  after  doses  of  0*03  grm. 
in  frogs,  0*2  grm.  in  pigeons,  and,  when  internally  applied,  rabbits 
and  cats  died  after  doses  of  2'5  grms.  and  60  drops.  The  smallest 
lethal  doses  to  man  of  carbolic  acid  and  creasote  cannot,  at  present, 
be  stated,  because  in  most  instances  of  poisoning  by  these  substances 
excessively  large  quantities  had  been  used. 
4.  The  constitutional  eff*ects  of  both  poisons  are  manifested  by 
nervous  disorders,  but  in  a  very  difi'erent  manner.  Carbolic  acid 
produces  at  first  tremulousness,  then  spasms  of  such  a  severity  as  is 
*  Reprint  from  N.  Jahrbuch  f.  Pharmacie.  Communicated  by  the  author, 
translated  and  condensed  by  the  Editor. 
