Toxic doses of silver come mostly from materials used in the arts. The
photographer uses chiefly the nitrate, iodide, bromide, cyanide and
chloride. Taken into the stomach the silver salts are less poisonous
because they are largely precipitated as insoluble chloride or
albuminate. The chloride and albuminate are, however, soluble in
solutions of alkaline chlorides and hence even they may poison.
_Symptoms._ Colic, emesis in vomiting animals the vomited matters
blackening in the light, diarrhœa, great muscular weakness, paresis,
weak clonic spasms, and disturbed respiration. The nervous symptoms are
very prominent (Rouget and Curci). Chronic poisoning produces emaciation
and fatty degeneration of liver, kidneys and muscles (Bogoslowsky).
_Lesions._ Patches of congestion and of white corrosion on the buccal
œsophageal and gastric mucous membrane, the presence of the curdy white
chloride of silver adherent to the gastric mucosa. In chronic cases the
visible mucosæ and white skin may have a slaty color.
_Treatment._ Emetics in vomiting animals. White of egg, common salt
largely diluted and followed by milk as antidotal, demulcent and
nutritive agent.