Zincum Sulfuricum

Zinc sulphate, Zn. S0^7H^0. (White vitriol.)

Preparation, Solutions in water.

Authorities. (1 and 2 from Franz, Archiv, 6, Part 2.) 1, Peter Forest, Observation, lib. 3, obs. 40; 2, Schule, Journ. de Med., 1781 ; (3 to 8 from Both, Journ. de la Sac. Gall., Mat. Med. Pure, vol. i, p. 467) ; 3, Buchan, Domestic Medicine, vol. iii, p. 450; 4, Fodere, Med. leg., vol. iv, p. 163; 5, Metezger, Material fur die Start, vol. i, p. 22; 6, Opitz, Pyl’s Aus. und Beotach, vol. ii, p. 12; 7, Sartorius and Moo.-him, Untersuch. iihej' Zink, Koeln, 1826; 8, Elliotson, Lancet, vol. i. No. 4; 9, Dr. Werres, Hencke’s Zeit., 1832 (Frank’s Mag., 3), two children ate some in soup; 10,G. G. Signiond, M.D., Lancet, 1M37-8 (1 ). 880, a young lady swallowed 2 ounces white vitriol in solution; 11, Pyl’s Memoirs (ibid.), a lotion of Sulphate of zinc was applied to the scalp of a boy, tet. six years, for a scaly eruption, death in five hours; 12, Maloz and Jasin.'-ky, in Mem. der Warsh. Med. Gesel. (A. H. Z., 14, 38()), observations on one hundred persons; 13, Tardieu, poi.-ioning by solutions of while vitriol; 14, Platner and Pignacca, Gaz. Med. (Ii Lombardia, 1848 (Brit, and For. Med.-Chir. Rev., 1849 (U, P- 545), a woman, tet. twenty-five, took 1^ ounces of the sulphate, dtalh in thirteen hours and a half; 15, Sister of last, tet. thirty-five, took a similar dose, rec(»very ; 16, same, a woman, set. thirty one years, recovering after delivery, took i ounce; 17, E. C. Parkinson, M.D., Iowa Med. Journ. (Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. li, 1854, p. 256), a man,?et. twenty-eight years, took a tablespoonful; 18, Patrick Brennan, M.D., Lancet, 1855 (2), p. 52, Francis K., set. nineteen years, took 4 ounces, dissolved in a gill of water; 19, George D. Gibbs, M.D., Lancet, 1856 (1), p. 540, Mrs. S., set. twentytwo years, swallowed a lotion containing 67 grains; 20, Santesson, Preus. Verein. Zeit., 1859 (A. H. Z., M. B., 1, 27), a woman took about 4 ounces for constipation ; 21, John W. Ogle, M.D., Lancet, 1859 (2), p. 210, a man took the sulphate for some days, death ; 22, Mr. Skey, Med. Times aud Gaz., 1862 (2), p. 252, a man, set. fifty-two years, swallowed about ounce, death on the fifth day ; 23, J. W. Ramsey, M.D., Med. and Surg. Rep., vol. XX, 1869, p. 178, Marie, set. twenty-eight years, took a tablespoonful of the sulphite; 24, A. J. Mackintosh, M.D., Lancet, 1872 (1), p. 717, a man, set. twenty-one years, swallowed 1 ounce in warm water; 25, A. K. Minich, M.D., Philada. Med. Times, 1872, p. 208, Mrs. G., set. twentyeighth years, injected about 2 drachms in solution into her vagina, for leucorrhcea; 26, Dr. Lutier, Gaz. des Hop., July, 1877 (Month. Horn. Rev., vol. xxii, p. 99), eighty prisoners swallowed each a pint of milk, containing almost 2 grams of the sulphate, the first symptoms, the same in all, after fifteen hours,

Mind p. 222

Delirium

Apparently delirious

Anxiety

Great nervous anxiety and depression (after three-quarters of an hour)

Head p. 222

Dizziness (second day)

-Headache

Violent headache (after fifteen hours)

Violent headache, with thirst

Burning acute pain in the head

Immediately he felt (in his own words) as if a powerful electric shock had passed through his head; he expected that his brains would have burst through his skull

Eyes p. 222

(Bluish rings around the eyes)

Eyes of a heavy dull appearance

Eyes staring (after three-quarters of an hour)

Eyes almost fixed and of a peculiar bright lustre

Convulsive movements of the eyeballs and upper extremities

Copious flow of tears from the eyes (after one hour)

Pupils much dilated (after three-quarters of an hour)

Ears p. 222

(Roaring in the ears)

Face p. 222

Countenance pallid

Pale, sunken countenance

Face pale, sunken, with cold extremities and convulsive pulse

Countenance pale, expression anxious

Leaden, purple tint of the countenance, and contracted features

Features shrunken

Mouth p. 222

Tongue moist, even with those little affected, and slightly blanched

Tongue partially paralyzed

Gums a little swollen and red upon the outer edge

Great irritation of the whole mucous membrane (after one hour)

Exceedingly sour taste

Throat p. 222

I inflammation ol the throat, so that he threatened to suffocate

A sense of choking and constriction round the chest

Tenderness in the throat, epigastrium, and abdomen

Slight soreness of the throat (second day)

Burning in throat and stomach

Burning and constriction at the fauces

Contraction of the oesophagus to such a degree that he is afraid of choking

Stomach p. 222

Intolerable thirst

Much thirst and dryness of the mouth (after three-quarters of an hour)

All complained of heartburn

Waasea and Vomitiny. Sickness, colic, at first without either evacuation or excessive weakness (after fifteen hours)

Sickness at the stomach

Vomiting,'", etc.

Violent vomiting,®'®, etc.

Frequent vomiting

Vomiting and diarrhoea

Vomited and purged incessantly

Violent vomiting, with cramps, severe pain, and burning in the stomach, and extreme prostration (soon)

Vomiting, the rejected matters tasted similar to the fluid she had swallowed (in fifteen minutes)

Instantly vomited, and then became affected Avith almost incessant retching and purging for half an hour, which continued afterwards at short intervals for three hours, and then gradually diminished

Only three or four had vomitings of bilious Burning sensation in stomach (after three-quarters of an hour)

Burning heat at the stomach

Excessive, burning pain in the stomach, with from time to time slight efforts to vomit

Complained of pain at the epigastrium and of feeling sick.

Pain in the stomach, gradually involving the whole abdomen,l

Excessive pain at the epigastrium

Acute pain in the region of the stomach, accompanied with a sensation of burning

Inflammation of the abdomen, with retraction of the umbilicus and terrible colic

Inflammation of the whole lower abdomen, with retracted umbilicus and misery

(Abdomen retracted and sunken, somewhat distended in the region of the colon)

Pain and great distension of the abdomen

Great pain in abdomen, limbs, etc.

Much pain in the abdomen, more especially in the region of the bladder (second day)

Severe pain in the region of the groin

All suffered from sharp, almost continuous colic

Abdomen p. 223

In some cases there was rectal tenesmus

Constant desire to eliminate and discharge the faeces (after one hour)

Stool p. 223

Diarrhoea "

Violent purging

Purged and vomited incessantly

Bowels acted freely immediately

Stools infrequent, the fecal matter hard and yellowish, mixed with the remains of the food of Wednesday, such as haricots, pieces of meat, etc.; afterwards a very abundant bilious diarrhoea set in

* After three months the evacuations became bloody, accompanied by sticking and cutting pains in both sides of the abdomen and along the colon; these dysenteric symptoms lasted three weeks

Respiratory Organs p. 223

Cough (after one hour)

Violent cough, with bloody and purulent expectoration

Weak respiration, 15 in the minute

Respiration difficult (after one hour)

Considerable dyspnoea (after one hour)

Chest p. 223

Pains in the chest with vomiting, followed by death

Violent burning pains beneath the chest

Heart and Pulse p. 223

(Palpitation on every motion)

Pulse rapid and scarcely distinguishable, at times dicrotic

The pulse full, 100 to 120 in the worst cases

Pulse frequent and small

Spasmodic pulse

Pulse 74, weak and small (after three-quarters of an hour)

Pulse about 70, and of small volume

Pulse fluttered

Pulse languid, 60,'®.

Pulse 50, very feeble, small, and easily compressible (after one hour)

Almost complete loss of pulse, as in true cholera

Upper Extremities p. 223

In the greater number, there were trembling of the limbs and very painful cramps; the slightest pressure increased these pains, both in the limbs and in the abdomen

Great pain from cramp in the arms and legs (second day

Superior Extremities p. 223

Convulsive movements of the upper extremities and eyeballs

Generalities p. 223

(Excessive anemia)

Very tremulous

Tremors

Convulsions

Severe convulsions

Convulsions, followed by death

(General weakness)

General weakness so considerable that many were unable to stand, and had to be carried into the infirmary

General exhaustion and death, in nine hours

Prostration

Extreme prostration, accompanied with distressing restlessness and anxiety,'h

Bo prostrate that he could neither walk nor stand (in half an hour)

Debility, long remained extreme

Heaviness in the whole body

The nerves are set on edge

[HO.] A feeling “as though her blood could scarcely struggle through her veins

Titillation all over the body, with irresistible inclination to laugh

All the prisoners resumed their work six days after poisoning, but the general weakness continued some days longer

Skin p. 224

Development of blisters on the neck, at first discharging bloody water, afterwards thin green, badly-smelling pus, which lasted about a month ; after this the gum began to swell, and upon it developed blisters from the size of the head of a pin to that of a pea, which burst and discharged blackish-brown substances, with blood, and of an extremely disagreeable odor and taste ; then the lips and gum began to swell, so that the patient could scarcely speak ; these symptoms gradually diminished, but afterwards returned more violent than ever, and were accompanied by the most violent pain in the tongue and swollen lips ; the swelling increased, extended over the face, neck, and throat, especially on the left side. The doctor noticed a great similarity between the lip and tongue and a syphilitic disease which affects these parts, but there were no other symptoms of a syphilitic affection, and the violent colitis, with which the patient suffered, seemed to indicate the toxic origin of the trouble. When brought into the hospital the tongue was so large that there was scarcely room for it in the mouth ; the upper surface was inflamed, and there were fissures with hypertrophied papillae ; the enlarged lower lip hung down ; its pale mucous membrane was cracked, and secreted a thin whitish-yellow liquid ; this was associated with chronic diarrhoea ; the evacuation was mixed with blood, thin, at times greenish-yellow, and accompanied by violent pains and rumbling in the abdomen,®‘’-t

(Skin pale yellow)

Deadly pallor of the skin, which was milky in its whiteness

Sleep and Dreams p. 224

Sleepy and stupid; she wanted most of all to sleep and to die in peace

Fever p. 224

Chilliness. Coldness

Shivering

Outwardly shivered, and had slight quivering of the lips (after three-quarters of an hour)

Skin cold and clammy

Whole surface of body cold, and covered with a clammy perspiration

Extremities cold

Temperature of skin diminished

Meat. Febrile action, which was followed by profuse sweating, that soon became excessive (second day); the fever, with the pain at the epigastrium, continued till the sixth day

Constant heat of the body, on account of which he cannot sleep

Burning heat of the extremities

Sweat. Profuse sweating (after six hours)

Her hands were covered with a cold clammy perspiration, but they felt to herself quite hot, and she seemed anxious to get hold of anything to cool them (after three-quarters of an hour)

Footnotes p. 224

† This patient had sufficed for two years from diarrhoea, which at times alternated with obstinate constipation. From this diarrhoea the patient had become exceedingly}' emaciated and ansemic.