Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
December,  1919.  J 
Benzine  Poisoning. 
803 
resulted  from  inhaling  large  amounts  of  the  fumes,  usually  in  clean- 
ing tanks  or  vats  in  which  there  was  very  little  ventilation.  The 
symptoms  noted  as  resulting  from  poisoning  from  drinking  benzine 
have  been  cyanosis,  miosis,  weak  pulse,  unconsciousness,  and  con- 
vulsions. Friediger5  has  collected  14  cases  of  poisoning  by  it,  eight 
of  which  resulted  in  death.  The  fatal  cases  were  all  in  children. 
Autopsy  in  all  cases  showed  hemorrhages  into  the  lungs. 
The  most  prominent  symptom  in  all  cases  of  acute  poisoning 
from  the  inhalation  of  fumes,  according  to  Wichern,6  is  the  muscle 
tremor  which  may  take  the  form  of  tonic  or  clonic  cramps,  the  vic- 
tims remaining  almost  without  interruption  in  a  condition  of  shaking 
fit.  Wichern  describes  two  cases :  A  workman  was  overcome  by  the 
fumes  and  fell  into  a  tank  of  benzine.  He  was  unconscious  and 
showed  wide,  inactive  pupils,  spasticity,  acrocyanosis,  chills,  and 
vomiting.  In  a  second  case,  developing  in  a  cleaning  establishment, 
the  symptoms  were  similar.  Wichern  states  that  in  animal  experi- 
ments muscle  tremor  is  prominent  also.  Other  observers  have  re- 
ported cases  similar  to  those  of  Wichern.  Peters7  describes  the 
.  occurrence  of  retrobulbar  neuritis  in  a  girl  of  fourteen,  the  daughter 
of  a  glove-cleaner,  who  was  addicted  to  the  habit  of  inhaling  ben- 
zine.  The  child  was  apathetic,  stubborn,  and  learned  slowly. 
Chronic  benzine  poisoning  seems  to  be  of  rare  occurrence.  Ac- 
cording to  Hamilton,  ordinary  ■  workmen  in  American  oil  fields  and 
refineries  show"  no  ill  effects.  Russian  writers  state  that  much  ill 
health  is  caused  by  the  constant  inhalation  of  benzine  fumes  in 
establishments  where  the  working  conditions  are  bad.  Only  four 
cases  of  chronic  poisoning  are  to  be  found  in  the  literature,  all  oc- 
curring in  a  rubber  factory,  and  two  of  which  are  reported  in  detail 
by  Dorendorf.8  The  first  man  after  eight  months  in  the  factory 
began  to  have  tearing  pains  in  the  muscles  and  joints  of  the  extremi- 
ties. Later  he  suffered  from  fibrillary  twitching  and  a  fine  tremor  of 
the  hands.  After  a  rest  he  went  back  to  work.  Sixteen  months  later 
he  returned  to  the  hospital  complaining  of  pressure  in  the  head, 
weak  memory,  difficulty  in  speaking,  anorexia,  a  feeling  of  heavi- 
ness in  the  limbs,  and  a  feeling  of  cold  in  the  right  hand  and  leg. 
Examination  showed  psychic  depression,  hesitant  speech,  weakness 
5  Friediger :  Munch,  med.  Wchnschr.,  1912,  LIX,  252. 
6  Wichern :  Munch,  med.  Wchnschr.,  1909,  LVI,  2. 
7  Peters :  Deut.  med.  Wchnschr.,  1900,  XXVI,  249. 
8  Dorendorf:  Munch,  med.  Wchnschr.,  1901,  XL  VIII,  236. 
