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
Several practical points arise from these experiments, notably with
regard to the frits, as it is seen that a considerable amount of the
toxic properties contained in frit are removed by washing--most by
washing with acetic acid and water, but also to some extent by washing
with hot water alone, showing that in the ordinary production of
lead frit for pottery purposes a certain amount of lead in a soluble
condition as regards the body tissues was still present. This is no
doubt entangled in the true silicates in the forms of oxides, or even
as carbonate. Further, the toxicity of the lead compounds used may
certainly be arranged in the order of their solubility with regard to
the animal tissues, the acetate being the most poisonous, and the frit,
when washed, the least; but unwashed frit, even in relatively small
doses, may produce poisoning. This point is still further emphasized
in Table XIII. Animal No. 42, four months after previous inoculation,
showed no signs of poisoning. Lead nitrate in water was therefore given
in quantities of 0·01 gramme per diem; one month later this animal
developed poisoning.
Table XII. deals with the feeding experiments.
In these experiments acetate was given in one case only, and then
in the form of pills coated with keratin. It is impossible to say,
however, whether the animal ever received any soluble lead, as on one
or two occasions the keratin pills passed right through the animal
without dissolving. On the other hand, feeding with nitrate of lead
in water produced symptoms, but when the nitrate was given in milk no
symptoms appeared. It will be noticed it took a cat four months to
show any signs of poisoning taking 0·1 gramme per day; whereas the
animal receiving subcutaneous doses of 0·16 gramme of acetate showed
paralysis in fifteen days, and in twenty-two days was so ill that it
had to be destroyed under an anæsthetic. The same relationship in
time also obtains in the case of the animals fed on dry white lead.
In practically no instance did definite or severe poisoning follow
the feeding on dry white lead alone, even when quite large quantities
were taken. On reference to the inoculation experiments of Table XI.,
it will be seen that the inoculation of 2 grammes of dry white lead
produced definite symptoms, although the feeding cats had an amount
very largely in excess of this. The only animals fed on white lead or
frit exhibiting signs of lead poisoning were those which were given
alcohol in addition to the lead compound.
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