Sulphuric acid, corrodes, blackens, dysphagia, salivation, retching,
vomiting, colics, collapse. Lesions. Test, barium nitrate. Nitric
acid, corrodes, stains yellow, or brown. Test, reddish fumes with
copper and sulphuric acid. Muriatic acid, corrodes, whitens. Test,
chlorine odor, white curdy precipitate with silver nitrate. Oxalic
acid, colic, emesis of black bloody matter, gastric mucosa red or
black, blood bright red, lowered respiration, innervation,
temperature. Acetic acid, congestion, softening of gastric mucosa, may
stop heart. Treatment: weak bases, magnesia, lime or their carbonates,
soap, lime water, demulcents.
=Sulphuric Acid.= This acts on stomach and intestine as on the mouth
abstracting water and blackening the tissues. It produces dysphagia,
salivation, retching, vomiting in carnivora and omnivora, colics, and
collapse. Sometimes the urine becomes albuminous or bloody. The post
mortem blackness of the contents and walls of stomach and intestine and
their intense acidity are characteristic. Nitrate of baryta will
precipitate the insoluble sulphate.
=Nitric Acid.= In concentrated state this acts in the main like the
sulphuric acid, but stains the lips yellow, and the mucosæ white
changing to citron yellow or brown and does not precipitate baryta. It
gives reddish fumes with copper and strong sulphuric acid.
=Muriatic Acid.= This is less caustic than nitric or sulphuric acid, and
may be recognized by its white cauterized patches on the mucosa of the
mouth, stomach and intestines, its chlorine odor, and the curdy
precipitate which it throws down with silver nitrate. It does not
corrode the skin. In the stomach this acid is normally present in the
free state.
=Oxalic Acid.= Lethal dose, dog 15 grs., cat 2 grs. When swallowed this
causes colics, emesis in vomiting animals, the rejected matters being
black and perhaps bloody. After death the gastric contents and walls and
those of the bowels are congested and more or less blackened, and the
blood of a bright red color. Heart is arythmic, respiration slow,
paresis of limbs, spasms, temperature subnormal.
=Acetic Acid.= This causes congestion and softening of the gastric and
intestinal mucosa, colics, emesis in vomiting animals. It may kill by
suddenly arresting the heart’s action.
_Treatment_ for the acids consists in alkaline or basic antidotes;
magnesia, or its carbonate, lime, or its carbonate, soapsuds, carbonates
and bicarbonates of potash and soda. Lime water is the one appropriate
antidote to oxalic acid, precipitating the insoluble oxalate.
Mucilaginous drinks may be added freely.