Aceticum acidum

Volume I — Main text

ACIDUM ACETICUM.

Acetic acid. Sour principle of vinegar^ — product of acetous fermentatioii of wine, &c,, and of pyroligneou* acid— result of dcstniciive di^Uation of wood.

I. Frtnfimgs atfJ Ohser*vathfts. — 1, Beiridce records three case«^ and HeUtMO one, in which vinegar habitually produced Aui^hing of face. In one ca»e ihi« latt for hours : in two heat accompanied, in one of these and one other perspintioi (M. H, R.t XV, aqj 5 if. 7. of H, M, Af,, ix, 145, viii, 111.)

a. Threadlike and noticeably retarded puUe, and decrease of i* J5° F. in tempei ture, after foot-bath of strong vinegar. (BoBitiK, in Ziemssen's Cydop^Jia^ 3m! 346.)

3, Gmelin frequently drank» more or lew diluted, jij to Jiv of pure pyrolignr acid. Only local effects were noticed, — burning when acid was taken ^rong, always salivation, eructations, nausea, and tendency to vomit Symptoms lasteti 1hrs. {Hygeay x, 19a.)

II. roisomtfgs, — i. Woman took over a pint of vinegar. When seen 3 h, t was in cold perspiration, trembling, and much alarmed. Breathing very lah^ and hurried i countenance wild, pupils dilated ; tongue dry and cold j pulse 9 feeble ^ abdomen much distended, with very acute pain in pr^cordia, slightest f there causing her to shriek out. Had drunk largely of water. Knew no 0 recollected nothing since taking vinegar. No pain^ heat, or constriction • After 6 h. headache, and after a d. xbght continued fever, (DaVID, Bg and Surg, J^mrn.^ xxxvii, 134.)

1. A plump and bioorning young woman took small glass of vtnegt reduce site. Soon lost ileish and colour; after a month cough set in, nl slight fever^ dyspnoea, waMing, night-sweats anorexia, finally ccdema of fl diarrhoea, and death. No blood or pu» expectorated^ but much white phlegm. At autnp^ lungs found stuffed with non-suppurating tt (Desault, Oisu de Mcitkmt^ 1733, i. 367.)

3, A nursing woman took large quantities of Acet. ro^arum. Milk dilute (sp. gr. 1001'-), bluish and almost transparent, of sour taste and waited and died with diarrhoea. Later, mother alvo sickened, bccam' chronic metrorrhagia, and dwindled to a skeleton. (LaNDERE^ Reptrtorium, 1847, xlv, 54.)

1. A young German worked for i a mos. in a vinegar factory. U off, and sleep became broken (taking food promoted it), Lateri

tc4^

back, felt as if abdomen would sink in, causing laboured breathing. Rested better

on abdomen. Cold drinks lay heavy on stomach and caused pressure s cold victuals

also distasteful. From florid became pale ami thin. Vegetables now disagreed, save

p putatoen i bread also, and still more butter ; had aversion to silted things. Meat

tctmld be taken sparingly ; cheese and eggs agreed. Food tasted right, but went

down with difficulty, causing slow eating. Tongue normal. Grirvtd much, and

btghed often, which relieved. Going upstairs was very difficult. Treatment (with

'Natr. mur.) relieved, and he was able to drink cold beer again; but later symptoms

returned, with increased dyspnoea and ready fatigue, so that he had to leave factory.

(H£RtMC, J. 7. 9/ H, M. M,j viii, laz.) [The ascription of the above symptoms

to the vinegar may fairly be questioned. Nevertheless, as this seemed to be the

exciting cau^, it has been fhougnt well to put them on record, as their minute detail

would — should their genuineness be confinncd — be veiy instructive, — Eds.]

Volume I — Appendix

Acidum acetlcmn.* — In place of I, 1, read as follows:

I. a. BtHRiDGE has obscned in two cases, from drinking vinegar, bright red flush on cheeks, in one with heat, in another with spots of perspiration on forehead, (AT. H, Rev,^ xv, 197)

*. In another case, on every tasting of vinegar, face got red and felt hot, with perspiration on it, (Ibid., Am. Joum. ofH. M. M., ix, 145.)

r. Mrs. — informs me that vinegar causes in her coppery ta^^te, commencing in tongue and going all over roof of mouth and lips ; tongue sometimes feels as if it stuck to back of mouth, and could not move ; then, after she has been to sleep she wakes with feeling as if heart stood still, and cannot draw her breath 4 then there is itching and smarting all over skin, but without redness or eruption, itching lasting 5 — 4. h,j and preventing sleep. (Ibid., The Organofif iii, 284.)

d, A young lady, of florid complexion, told Bering that each time she partook of pickles (made without apices) she had a very much flushed face, lasting several h, (Jm. 7. o/H. M. M., viii, 111.)

In II. 1, after ** cough," insert ** (first dry, afterwards moist) ; ' and before " ex. tremitics ' add ** lower.*'