QP List Guidelines Lead Poisoning in Birds by Vicki Barnard Introduction. Lead poisoning is also known as plumbism, derived from plumbum , the Latin word for lead. It is reported that an alarming percentage of ancient Romans suffered from mental disorders due to the use of lead pipes for bringing water into the homes from the city aqueduct system. Perhaps this even helps explain what happened to some of the depraved Roman emperors such as Caligula, whose insanity is theorized to be of organic origin.
Lead poisoning can be either acute or chronic.
The acute form is caused by sudden exposure to large doses of lead by ingesting it in large amounts. Eating tiny particles of lead also increases exposure because more surface area allows for greater stomach acid exposure. Small particles sit in the gizzard for a long time. Bullets are routinely left in soldiers when the lead projectile is not in a life- threatening location. The onset of clinical signs is rapid in acute lead poisoning.