mples of idiosyncrasy to the most common
remedial substances will be cited, taking the drugs up alphabetically.

Acids.--Ordinarily speaking, the effect of boric acid in medicinal
doses on the human system is nil, an exceptionally large quantity
causing diuresis. Binswanger, according to Lewin, took eight gm. in two
doses within an hour, which was followed by nausea, vomiting, and a
feeling of pressure and fulness of the stomach which continued several
hours. Molodenkow mentions two fatal cases from the external employment
of boric acid as an antiseptic. In one case the pleural cavity was
washed out with a five per cent solution of boric acid and was followed
by distressing symptoms, vomiting, weak pulse, erythema, and death on
the third day. In the second case, in a youth of sixteen, death
occurred after washing out a deep abscess of the nates with the same
solution. The autopsy revealed no change or signs indicative of the
cause of death. Hogner mentions two instances of death from the
employment of 2 1/2 per cent solution of boric acid in washing out a
dilated stomach The symptoms were quite similar to those mentioned by
Molodenkow.

In recent years the medical profession has become well aware that in
its application to wounds it is possible for carbolic acid or phenol to
exercise exceedingly deleterious and even fatal consequences. In the
earlier days of antisepsis, when operators and patients were exposed
for some time to an atmosphere saturated with carbolic spray, toxic
symptoms were occasionally noticed. Von Langenbeck spoke of severe
carbolic-acid intoxication in a boy in whom carbolic paste had been
used in the treatment of abscesses. The same author reports two
instances of death following the employment of dry carbolized dressings
after slight operations. Kohler mentions the death of a man suffering
from scabies who had applied externally a solution containing about a
half ounce of phenol. Rose spoke of gangrene of the finger after the
application of carbolized cotton to a wound thereon. In some cases
phenol acts with a rapidity equal to any poison. Taylor speaks of a man
who fell unconscious ten seconds after an ounce of phenol had been
ingested, and in three minutes was dead. There is recorded an account
of a man of sixty-four who was killed by a solution containing slightly
over a dram of phenol. A half ounce has frequently caused death;
smaller quantities have been followed by distressing symptoms, such