Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-20
RichIoride of Mercury
Generally Proves Fatal,
Say Capital Physicians

The lethal dose OF bichloride Of mer-
l.lry Ia 81 grains. for the average per-
son. Death may be very quick from the
corrosive effects, but unless this happens
il il an exceedingly slow-acting poison.
the average length of illness being
from seven to ten days, although there
are cases on record of as short a time
as three days. or as many as twenty.
The sickness following the taking OF a
dose OF the poison Is divided into three
periods There Is the immediate corro-
sive effect II this is not fatal there
follows a period. which may last two
days. of intense gastric disturbance.
vomiting and allied symptoms.
This may be followed by day or two
of apparent recovery. but the gastric
symptoms may then return and persist
until death ensues.
The antidote. or palliative, for BIZ
chloride. as has been stated. is white OF
egg and milk. and this recalls one curious
case on record, where an excessive dose
of the poison was not fatal Tho action
Of the albumen of the egg is to form an
insoluble compound with the mercury
and this may be elected from the system
through vomiting without being absorbed
Survived Large Dose.
In the case referred to a physician had
performed an operation. and, on leaving
the patient. left a small package Of NOR
phfne tablets TO be administered at In.
tervals for relieving the patients suffer
ing. In closing his medicine case he
dropped a package Of one-grain bichloride
tablets and these the patients wife adj
mingtered to him under the impression
that they were morphine. She gave hin
total OF sixteen OF the bichioride tab
let's, which was several times the guam.
tlty normally required 10 kill human
being. but at the same time, as sh.
thought he needed nourishment. she gave
him raw eggs beaten up In milk. The re
suit was that, in spite of this excessiy,
dose, the patient recovered.
Washington physicians interviewed BY
Star reporter today united in declarin,
that had y. Sanders Walker, the Macon
Ga, man who by mistake swallowed .
tablet OF bichloride OF mercury. absorbed
the entire tablet he would have beer
dead long before now. Several physicians
said that undoubtedly the greater part o
the poison must have been elected from
Walkers stomach In the nausea tina
would have been caused by the ingestior
of such a dose. a tablet of bichloride o
mercury contains about seven and a hal
grains OF the poison. which is a zorro
sive, irritant metallic poison.
Most Cases Are Fatal.
Cases Of bichloride poison which re
ceive q physicians attention within &
short time said DR.. William L. yar
SAINT. resident physician of George Wash
ington University Hospital, "freauentl,
recover, though most cases Of bichlorid,
poisoning terminate fatally. Treatment
consists OF administering an emetio I,
empty the patients stomach, and the,
giving whites OF eggs in large quantities
The albumen acts as a soothing palliative
neutrallzlng the effects OF the poison
There Is no antidote for bichloride an,
when any quantity OF ii Is absorbed b,
the human system death is certain
DR.. Harry Lewis. superintendent o.
Emergency Hospital, and resident ply
sicians at other hospitals of Washing
ton, when asked as To the effects OF
dose Of seven and a half grains of bi
chloride. taken internally. said tina
such a dose ordinarily would prov
fatal within a short time. Immediate
treatment such as administration OF 1
strong emet.c and quantities OF Whit
Of egg. might prevent fatal termina
ton. though so large a dose of thu
poison would, they said. in all prob
ability 5srult in death before a physi