Symptoms.—­Large doses cause great excitement, sometimes convulsions, followed by weak heart and respiratory weakness, general prostration, convulsions and coma.

The cocaine habit causes emaciation, anemia, disturbances of the stomach, etc., disordered heart action, weakness of the body and mind, nervous and great depravity.

Treatment.—­Same as for the morphine habit.

[374 Mothers’ remedies]

Chloral habit.  Symptoms.—­After a slight primary exhilaration there is depression of the mind and body; skin eruptions, bad breath, spongy gums, poor appetite, indigestion, bad nutrition, permanent dilation of the cutaneous (skin) blood vessels, intermittent pulse, blunting of the higher mental faculties, restlessness, sleeplessness, irritability, sometimes dementia.

Treatment.—­Same as for morphine.

Lead poisoning. (Plumbism-Saturnism).  Causes.—­It is common in lead smelters and grinders, painters, glaziers, and plumbers, whose hands are not washed before eating.  The lead is absorbed by the mouth, skin and lungs.  It may be taken into the system by drinking water, cider, etc., in new lead pipes, or from hair-dyes or cosmetics containing lead.

Symptoms of Acute Case.—­These develop rapidly from continued exposure.  There is rapidly progressing anemia, with acute neuritis, epilepsy, convulsions or delirium or with severe stomach and bowel symptoms.

Chronic Cases.  Symptoms. 1.—­Anemia, lead line on the gums, paralysis, colic, and brain symptoms.

2.  Blue-black line of lead in the gums near the teeth.

3.  This is preceded by an obstinate constipation.  It resembles severe intestinal colic.  There may be vomiting.

4.  Paralysis.  This is the result of peripheral neuritis, localized or generalized.  Wrist drop and many other symptoms of local and general paralysis.

Treatment.  Prevention.—­The hands and finger nails of the lead workers should always be thoroughly cleaned before eating.  Use respirators if lead is present in the form of dust.

For chronic poisoning remove the cause.  Potassium iodide, five to ten grains three times a day.  Not to be given in acute cases or when the symptoms are very severe, until what is in the bowels is removed.

Constipation.—­For this give a half ounce of epsom salts before breakfast when needed, or repeat in small doses.

For pain.—­Heat over the abdomen and give morphine, if necessary.

Food poisoning. (Bromototoxismus).—­Food may contain the specific organisms of disease, as of tuberculosis or trichinosis; milk and other foods may become infected with typhoid bacilli, and so convey the disease.  Animals (or insects or bees) may feed on substances that cause their flesh or products to be poisonous to man.  Meat poisoning.  Eating sausage or pork pie or headcheese has caused poisoning.  Poisoning from impure milk, shell fish, pellagra, from using altered maize, etc.