The patient describes the pain as if produced by a boring instrument, and the abdominal muscles become knotted, and sometimes painfully retracted with all the contents of the abdomen towards the spine.[379] The sphincter muscles of the bladder and anus are always affected; sometimes strangury and tenesmus are the consequences; at other times, a total incapacity of making any water at all, and so great a contraction of the sphincter ani that a clyster can hardly be introduced. After suffering these torments for a period of an indefinite duration, delirium and cold sweats may supervene, and the patient die in convulsions. If, however, the treatment has been prompt and judicious, and the quantity of poison has not been excessive, he may recover from its immediate effects, and live to testify the severity of the consecutive phenomena. A most inveterate constipation of the bowels will continue for a considerable period, and there will be an occasional recurrence of colic; at length a peculiar species of palsy will supervene in the upper extremities, especially affecting the muscles of the fore arm, and wrist,[380] _Citois_ has given us a striking description of this stage of the saturnine disease. “_Per vicos, veluti larvæ, aut arte progredientes statuæ, pallidi, squalidi, macilenti conspiciuntur, manibus incurvis et suo pondere pendulis, nec nisi arte ad os et cæteras supernas partes sublatis, ac pedibus non suis, sed crurum muculis, ad ridiculum, ni miserandum, incessum compositis, voce clangosa et strepera._” It does not appear that the train of symptoms above described has ever been excited by any other external cause than the one here assigned. Whenever we meet with colic, attended with paralytic symptoms of the extremities, we may at once conclude that it has arisen from the influence of lead. The disease has been described by authors under the name of the _colic of Poitou_,[381] or _colica Pictonum_,[382] from the circumstance of its having raged with such epidemic fury in that province, in consequence of the adulteration of its wines with lead. It is also mentioned as the painter’s colic, since this class of artists is very commonly visited by the disease, in consequence of the _white lead_ contained in their pigments. At the Lead Hills, it is known to the miners, under the provincial name of _milreek_; and in Derbyshire, under that of _belland_.[383] 2. _Symptoms arising from the introduction of lead into the system, by small and repeated doses._