Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving riskLegge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Science
Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving risk
Legge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Lead poisoning
_Lung._--Red or grey hepatization may be found, or a general appearance
of broncho-pneumonia, where the dust used contained angular or
insoluble substances. In animals subjected to prolonged inhalation,
particles of lead could be demonstrated in the alveolar cells, and in
the tissue beyond, either by staining with chromic acid or by means of
iodine. Staining by sulphuretted hydrogen is not very satisfactory, as
most animals resident in a large city show masses of carbon situated in
various parts of the alveolar cells. If, however, a section be treated
by means of iodine or chromic acid, and watched under the microscope
during the process, the particles of carbon are easily differentiated
from those of lead compounds.
_Nervous System._--Sections of the brain and spinal cord, and of the
nerve supplying the paralyzed muscles, all exhibited the same phenomena
of minute hæmorrhages. In later cases some change in the cells is
found, but as a rule, beyond a slight increase of the intracellular
substance, little or no change is found in the cellular elements of
the brain; but in the region of the surface minute hæmorrhages may
be constantly traced, spreading over the surface of the cortex. In
the cord, sections made in various situations failed to show any very
definite degeneration, and little or no hæmorrhage was observed amongst
the cells of the cord. Hæmorrhages could occasionally be seen on the
surface.
In a number of animals the anterior crural nerves supplying the
paralyzed quadriceps extensor muscles were examined carefully both
for degeneration and for hæmorrhages. Very few degenerated nerve
fibres were found, not more than would be accounted for by the minute
hæmorrhages, which were found passing in between the nerve bundles, and
here and there producing pressure on the nerve bundles themselves.
_Kidney._--In the kidneys minute microscopical hæmorrhages, some of
them quite large, were found in the cortex. The hæmorrhages are diffuse
and irregular, and apparently due here, as in other situations in the
body, to the breaking down of minute venioles rather than arterioles.
In many cases the change is capillary. Parenchymatous nephritis may be
seen, probably resulting from the transudation taking place from the
vessel walls.
The chief view brought out in the histological examination of the
various organs is one of capillary hæmorrhage. This phenomenon is
not peculiar to lead poisoning, but, from the work of Moore of
Liverpool[4], it would seem that all heavy metals, such as bismuth,
mercury, not excepting iron, tend to produce a curious generalized
yielding of the minuter vessel walls. Armit[5] has demonstrated a
similar effect with nickel. The phenomena is, however, typically
associated with lead poisoning, and may, we think, be regarded as the
definite factor of chronic lead poisoning.
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