The Republican journal., 1905-06-29
Wood Alcohol Poisoning.
Danger Greater Than is Commonly
Supposed.

itd the puOllc LrOIn tne SuDStl'
Il wood alcohol for grain alco'
3+ grave peril lies in the fact
ul alcohol is sometime used in
.lain alcohol in various house
.parations.
=, of wood alcohol in the manu-
and adulteration of potable
sufficiently alarming, but this
mean the extent of its use as
Grant. Not only have prepare
tended Tor use in the arts, as
IS. or for external use, as witch
cen made with wood alcohol as
-leut, but even medicinal OF
agents, such as essence of
Vi ginger, lemon, peppermint,
tended for internal use, have
lud to contain it.
prcialists of this country and of
agree in ascribing many cases
or partial blindness to wood
which has unknowingly been
the form of liquors, medicinal
IS. tiavOrlng essences or used eX-
II the form of witch hazel and
and as linimentS and for alco-
icohol is known to the chemist
aol and methyl, more popularity
l4tr the name OF pyroligneous
teoXylic spirit, wood alcohol
uaphtha. 1t occurs as one of
lrnts of crude wood vinegar,
iuduct of the destructive dis
wood.
wood alcohol is a thin, color
realty resembling grain alec
Ute and smell, but obtained
vinegar. Tnpuritied, it has
offensive odor and flavor.
within the past seven or eight
cheap, deodorized wood al
cen placed on the market,
Hly during the same period
arming record of death and
esulting from its use has
lat time the unpurified pro-
ed so offensive an odor and
even the most inveterate
was unable to stomach it.
"a wood alcohol is known
rs names, and owing to the
lose similarity in taste and
an alcohol, and to its COM
gapness-wood alcohol I'M
at 30 cents a gallon, grain
ged retails at 81. Cot is very
~tituted for grain alcohol.
~ the deodorizing process de-
Of the poisonous properties
4cohol, and, while differing
.ppearance, taste and smell
alcohol, it is under certain
.- deadly poison.
by wood alcohol manifests
,to forms-that of acute pois-
that of chronic poisoning.
to researches by physiolo-
roy and Servereaux, Birch
Holden, Hunt, Pohl and
symptoms of the acute form
rlai similar to those observed
.t poisoning by grain alcohol,
that the action of wood alec
pluced more slowly and the
Vt the intoXication is more
d. The coma caused by wood
uutinues for a very much long
tUa does that caused by grain
ytstigations of Butler and
tge demonstrated that, in many
SIS. no marked poisonous symp-
it noticed until twenty-four
longer, after the last number
usually small drinks, had been
Indeed, it may be set down as
Ht except in persons exhibiting
-5ucracy against wood alcohol
IS a large dose of the poison be
rjin "a few hours, not only
- severe abdominal symptoms
lapse of the heart and nerv-
n he postponed, but even the
;nation has in some instances
we'd for several days.
gu physiological experiments
-.w to show that the consump-
ood alcohol in large quantities
liar effect on animal life to
ain alcohol when taken in ex-
Z is gathered from the obser-
y doctors of those suffering
Jtute form of wood alcohol
mat wood alcohol is undoubt-
very respect and however
more dangerous to man than
uLOl.
or sub-acute poisoning by
'ohol, that is, the taking of
antilles at short intervals, pro-
FORM of cumulative action, de-
probably on the retention with
Ydy OF wood alcohol or of some
imposition products.
made the important discovery
)d alcohol differs markedly from
"oaol in that it is but partially
IN the body and that its admin
4 leads to the formation within
Of a markedly poisonous acid,
cid. which is thrown out of the
very slowly, a striking illustra-
the fact that within the body
.on may be converted into an
sch is far more powerful.
Iank Butler of Montreal and
,ry Wood of Chicago, both of
re eye specialists, began an in
ion of the subject in the early
this year, and the results are
ug published in the Journal of
neucan Medical Association.
Nalcians in question have laid
their researches a startling
fairs.
been found that wood alcohol,
led essences and witch hazel,
l, other preparations contain
I5 alcohol, have been directly
nle during the past seven or
IS for about IFS cases of blind
about 100 cases of death. In
Us the Investigations have been
~ incomplete Or. Butler not
tempted to collect published
as of death, and DR.. Wood hay
I'd only cases unpublished in
Journals), it is in high degree
at more thorough and extend,
IA would show that quite POO
lave been killed and the same
blinded by preparations con-
wood alcohol within a comnara.