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
In acute poisoning lead is generally found in the urine, but in chronic
poisoning it is by no means a common occurrence. From time to time
small quantities are excreted, and in the chemical analysis made of
the kidneys in cases of fatal lead poisoning a certain amount of lead
has frequently been noted. Wynter Blyth[2] found in the kidneys of two
white lead workers a total of 0·003 gramme. Peyrusson and Pillault[3],
quoted by Meillère, found a similar quantity, 0·003 gramme, while in
experimental animals Meillère himself found considerably less, only
0·0001 gramme; Stevenson, in a case reported by Newton Pitt[4], 0·0086
per cent. of lead in the cæcum and colon. Notwithstanding a small
quantity of lead which may be determined by chemical methods as present
in the urine or the kidney, very definite nephritis is set up in these
organs, obviously due to the irritative effect of the metallic poison.
=The Kidneys.=--Kidney disease of several types has been described
as associated with poisoning by lead, particularly with chronic lead
poisoning, where large quantities of a soluble lead salt have been
ingested. Very considerable strain is thrown upon the kidney, with the
result that the lead salts themselves are passed through; but, as has
been pointed out when dealing with acute poisoning, the passage of lead
through the kidneys does not continue for any considerable time, and in
lead poisoning of an industrial and chronic nature no lead at all has
been found in the urine in undoubted cases. Even when present, it may
be difficult to detect unless the electrolytic method is used (see p.
174). At the same time kidney disease undoubtedly does occur in a very
large number of workers.
All heavy metals, of which silver, mercury, iron, zinc, and finally
lead, may be quoted as examples, appear to be eliminated by the kidney
when they are present in the body in toxic doses, and often when in
small non-toxic doses, but in the latter case to a greater extent
through the bowel than through the kidney. The lead circulating in the
blood, in common with other heavy metals, may be found chemically in
the kidney, but the quantity recovered is not as large as one would
expect from the considerable amount of inflammation often present.
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