_Acute poisoning._ Sources. Lethal dose, horse, ox, sheep, dogs, pigs.
Endermic. Symptoms: colic, weak pulse, rapid breathing, red eyes,
dilated pupils, purging, weakness, trembling, stupor, convulsions,
paralysis, green or yellow vomit, test of urine. Lesions:
gastro-intestinal inflammation, ropy, bloody mucus, ecchymosis,
extravasation, ulceration. Treatment: emesis, stomach pump, hydrated
iron oxide, calcined magnesia.—_Chronic poisoning._ Excessive
administration, arsenical fumes from smelting furnaces. Symptoms:
indigestion, emaciation, hide-bound, depilation, red eyes, diarrhœa,
agalactia, weakness, paraplegia, salivation. Lesions: as in acute,
fatty liver, test of urine. Tests: on hot charcoal garlic odor,
Marsh’s test by zinc and sulphuric acid. Treatment: avoidance of
cause, antidotes demulcents, diet.
Arsenious acid given recklessly as medicine, rat poison, arsenite of
soda made into a sheep dip and left within reach of animals, and
arsenite of copper used for potato bugs, or other insect pests and
carelessly left where animals can get it are the most common sources of
acute arsenical poisoning. Horses die from 140 grains in solution, or 3½
drs. in the solid form, cattle from 3½ to 7 drs., sheep are killed by 2
drs., dogs may die from 2 grs., but larger doses usually cause vomiting
and the animal is saved. Hogs may die from 15 grs. but they often save
themselves by vomiting with much larger doses. The poisonous effects may
be induced by putting arsenic on a raw sore.
_Symptoms._ Violent colic, quick, feeble, irregular pulse, hurried
respiration, emesis in vomiting animals, ardent thirst, purging,
tenesmus, lowered or unevenly distributed temperature, red eyes, dilated
pupils, and nervous symptoms, weakness, trembling, stupor, convulsions
and paralysis. The urine is albuminous and may be bloodstained. In case
of Paris green, the green color of the vomit, and of arsenious acid, a
yellow color may be looked for. Test urine for arsenic.
_Lesions._ Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, with ropy,
often bloody mucus. Ecchymosis, and extravasations appear in the
stomach. Ulceration is not common in very acute cases, but in protracted
cases, it is usually present in the stomach (abomasum in cattle).
Petechiæ may be met with in different internal organs and in protracted
cases, fatty degeneration of liver, heart, or kidney.
_Treatment._ In vomiting animals encourage emesis by tepid water,
tickling the fauces, or giving ipecacuan. For non-vomiting animals the
stomach pump may be tried. The available antidotes are hydrated oxide of
iron, or a solution of calcined magnesia. To make the first, mix 100
parts sulphate of iron in solution with 250 parts magnesia in solution.
This should be given liberally and often: horse or ox 1 qt., sheep or
pig 2 ozs., dog 1 oz. A simple aqueous solution of calcined magnesia
also forms with arsenic an insoluble combination.