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
Turning to the inhalation experiments, the quantity of dust breathed
when as high as 0·0007 gramme per litre produced symptoms after only
twelve inhalations for a period of about thirty-seven days; whereas
when the dose was reduced to 0·0001 gramme per diem the time required
to produce symptoms of poisoning was 120 days; in fact, this last dose
(0·0001) for the animal under experiment was almost the lower limit, as
this animal showed an almost steady line of weight for a considerable
time, the weight remaining up for the first hundred days, a slight
variation taking place from week to week until a progressive diminution
set in.
Practically all the animals poisoned manifested a very distinct
diminution in body weight; in four only other symptoms of poisoning
appeared first. This is a fact that is often to be noted amongst
lead-workers, and if a progressive diminution in weight takes place,
there is strong reason for supposing that a considerable alteration in
the metabolism of the body has taken place; but it does not follow that
microscopical hæmorrhages or other definite effects of poisoning are
present, although such is probable.
Finally, in summing up the conclusions to be drawn from the above
experiments, it has been suggested that such experiments as
inoculation, experimental inhalation, or even feeding, are no criterion
of the circumstances under which industrial workers become infected
with lead. It is perhaps hardly necessary to refer to this point, but
for the fact that it is possible this book may be made use of by those
who are not in the habit of dealing with experimental pathology. One
of the first and most important matters in dealing with any form of
poisoning is to obtain knowledge of the actual symptoms both clinically
and physiologically, as well as pathologically, of the effects of any
drug, and to determine if the symptoms so produced in an experimental
animal conform to the symptoms as seen in man. For the purpose,
therefore, an animal is required which is susceptible to the poison,
and therefore cats were used in the foregoing experiments, as it is
absolutely impossible to keep a domesticated cat in any white lead
works, for the animals invariably become poisoned by lead.
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