An outbreak of toxic jaundice due to tetrachlorethane poisoning : a new type amongst aeroplane workers / by William Henry Willcox, M.D., B.Sc. Lond., F.R.C.P Lond., F.L.C., D.P.H., &c.,, physician to St. Mary's Hospital; senior scientific analyst to the Home Office, England.

  • Willcox, William Henry
Date:
[1915?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An outbreak of toxic jaundice due to tetrachlorethane poisoning : a new type amongst aeroplane workers / by William Henry Willcox, M.D., B.Sc. Lond., F.R.C.P Lond., F.L.C., D.P.H., &c.,, physician to St. Mary's Hospital; senior scientific analyst to the Home Office, England. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    18 is a valuable constituent of the dope, since there is difficulty in getting such a good firm coating with a cellulose varnish in which tetrachlorethane is not present. Experiments were instituted to test each of the constituents of the dope and the dope itself as regards the toxic action of their vapour on the liver. For each experiment a large glass chamber (dessicator) was used. In the bottom of this were placed daily 10 c.c. of the liquid to be tested. A perforated zinc platform was stretched across the middle of the chamber—i.e., halfway up. On this were placed the animals to be experimented upon. The top of the chamber was covered with a per¬ forated zinc roof. Rats were selected as the most suitable animals. The animals were kept in the glass chamber for eight hours a day for a week. The liquids tested were dope, tetrachlorethane, acetone, benzene, and methylated spirit respectively. Two rats were placed in each chamber, five experiments being carried out together. The rats thus exposed to dope vapour and tetrachlorethane vapour became very drowsy and slept all day. After removal from the chamber they remained drowsy for some little time, and on some occasions they were quite ataxic in gait, falling over on to their sides. After an hour or more usually they fed and became active. These animals did not gain in weight during the week’s treatment. In the experiments with acetone, benzene, and methylated spirit the animals were drowsy while exposed to the respec¬ tive vapours, but on removal from it they immediately became lively and fed well. No ataxic symptoms were observed. All these animals gained markedly in weight during the week. After seven days’ treatment the animals were killed, and post-mortem examinations were made on them by Dr. Spilsbury and myself. The tetrachlorethane rats showed marked changes in the liver to the naked eye, there being fatty degeneration and bile-staining present. The “dope” rats showed similar changes but less marked. The rats exposed to the vapour of benzene, acetone, and methylated spirit showed no changes in the liver to the naked eye. Careful microscopical examination of the organs showed marked fatty degeneration and cloudy swelling in the liver and kidneys of rats exposed to dope vapour and tetra¬ chlorethane vapour, but no abnormal ohange in the animals exposed to the other vapours. Rats were also exposed to the action of dope vapour and tetrachlorethane vapour for five weeks. Marked diminution in size in the liver occurred in
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