Poisoning by Lunar Caustic

As poisoning by lunar caustic is very rare, and as the following case made a wonderful recovery, I think it is worth publishing in detail. One day in September last, I prescribed for one of my patients (an old man who had been suffering for a long time from extensive sloughing of the scrotum, which was considerably hyperti'ophiod) a nitrate of silver lotion for external use only. After writing the prescription, I told my patient, an ignorant old man, that the medicine which I had ordered was to be applied to his ulcer. In my prescription I had directed the phial containing the lotion to be labelled " poison." Acco' dingly it was sent from the dispensary at Baloochur to my patient; but he, without enquiring any further, fancied it to be a mixture, dividi d it into four parts, and took one dose (containing fifteen grains of nitrate of silver) at once, and two doses more within the next two hours. Fortunately, I went to see him at that very time. As soon as I entered the room, his wife told me, in great hurry and confusion, that her husband was almost dying from the baneful effects of the medicine which I had presciihed in the morning. 1 examined the phial and found that only two drachms of the lotion were left iu it; that is to say, forty-five grains of nitrate of silver had been swallowed by the poor old man!!! When questioned, he told me in a faint voice that he felt a sort of indescribable burning sensation inside his stomach, and that he was very, very unwell. His eyes were red, and the forehead covered with perspii ation. His pulse was accelerated, and his respiration hurried. The tongue was devoid of epithelium. His mind was quite clear, but he was unable to speak. I immediately made him swallow a large cupful of milk and a strong solution of common salt, and ordered that he should take as much milk as he could swallow. Eggs