has been quoted by other medico-legal authors. For assuredly some other cause must have co-operated before such symptoms could arise; since I have in many cases given the same dose thrice daily for several days, without ever observing more than slight sickness; and Dr. Babington once gave thirty-six grains thrice a day for some weeks with as little effect.[1]
Parmentier, the chemist, met with an instance, in which about two ounces of white vitriol in solution were swallowed by mistake. The countenance became immediately pale, the extremities cold, the eyes dull, and the pulse fluttering. The patient, a young lady, then complained of a burning pain in the stomach, and vomited violently. But potass being now administered in syrup, the pain ceased, the vomiting gradually abated, and the lady soon recovered completely.[2]
In the Journal de Médecine, another instance is related by M. Schueler, in which a very large dose did not produce material injury. The symptoms were pain in the stomach and bowels, with vomiting and diarrhœa. They were dispelled in a few hours by the administration of cream, butter, and chalk.[3]
The following is a fatal case recorded by Metzger, but it is not a pure example of poisoning with zinc, though accounted such by the relater; for a small quantity of sulphate of copper was mixed with the sulphate of zinc. Three persons in a family took this mixture, which had been given them by a grocer in mistake for pounded sugar. They were all seized with violent vomiting; and a boy twelve years of age died in less than twelve hours.[4]
Another and an unequivocal case has been lately recorded in Horn's Archiv from Mertzdorff's experience. No part of the history of the symptoms is mentioned, except that there had been vomiting. But Mertzdorff has described carefully the morbid appearances, which are interesting; and he detected the poison in the stomach by a satisfactory analysis.[5]
Two other cases, which are presumed to have arisen from the commercial sulphate of zinc, and which proved fatal, have been recently published by Dr. Sartorius of Aachen; but they do not appear to me to have been satisfactorily traced to this poison, and it is therefore unnecessary to quote them.[6]
Dr. Werres of Cologne has related the particulars of three cases of poisoning with some preparation of zinc in milk-porridge. One of the persons, a child four years old, was seized with vomiting in three minutes, and, after frequent violent returns of it, died in convulsions within eight hours. The others also suffered severely from vomiting, but recovered.[7]
It does not appear that workmen who are exposed to the fumes of zinc ever suffer materially. But there is a case in Rust's Magazin,
- ↑ Guy's Hospital Reports, vi. 17.
- ↑ Orfila, Tox. i. 573.
- ↑ Journal Gén. de Médecine, lvi. 22.
- ↑ Materialien für die Staatsarzneikunde, i. 122.
- ↑ Horn's Archiv, 1824, ii. 259.
- ↑ Buchner's Repertorium für die Pharmacie, xxvii. 317, and xxxiii. 104.
- ↑ Henke's Zeitschrift für die Staatsarzneikunde, xxiii. 164.
