fumes of ammonia from a broken carboy, awoke in three-quarters of an hour, with the mucous membrane of the mouth and nostrils corroded, and a bloody discharge from the nose. A severe attack of bronchitis followed, during which he could not speak for six days; but being actively treated with antiphlogistic remedies, he recovered.[476]—An extraordinary case has been published by Mr. Paget of death from injecting ammonia into the blood-vessels. A solution weak enough to allow of the nose being held over it was injected into a nævis in a child two years old. An attack of convulsions immediately followed, and in a minute the child expired.[477] Nysten’s case is the only one in the human subject in which the _morbid appearances_ were ascertained. The nostrils were blocked up with an albuminous membrane. The whole mucous coat of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, and even of some of the bronchial ramifications, was mottled with patches of lymph. The gullet and stomach showed red streaks here and there; and there was a black eschar on the tongue, and another on the lower lip. _Of Poisoning with Hydrochlorate of Ammonia._—The effects of the hydrochlorate of ammonia on animals have been examined by Professor Orfila and Dr. Arnold; but I have not yet met with any instance of its operation as a poison on man. When given to dogs it irritates and inflames the parts it touches, and causes the ordinary symptoms of local irritation. But it also acts remotely. For, first, like arsenic, and other poisons of the third order of irritants, it produces inflammation of the stomach, in whatever way it is applied to the body,—Orfila having found that organ affected when the salt was applied to the subcutaneous cellular tissue;[478] and, secondly, according to the experiments of Arnold, it causes, when swallowed, excessive muscular weakness, slow breathing, violent action of the heart, and tetanic spasms,—effects which cannot arise from mere injury of the stomach. Half a drachm will thus kill a rabbit in eight or ten minutes;[479] and two drachms a small dog in an hour.[480] CHAPTER XII. OF POISONING WITH THE ALKALINE SULPHURETS. The liver of sulphur, or sulphuret of potass of the pharmacopœias, the last poison of this order to be mentioned, is allied to the ammoniacal salts in action. It is of no great consequence in a toxicological point of view in this country, being put to little use; but several accidents have been caused by it in France, where it is employed for manufacturing artificial sulphureous waters; and farther, its properties should be accurately ascertained, because till lately it was erroneously resorted to as an antidote for some metallic poisons.