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Show 3sr m 3sr DANGERS OF WOOD ALCOHOL. About a year after seeing my first case of wood alcohol poisoning poison-ing (that one being due to drinking of wood alcohol), I saw a man who had been poisoned by breathing wood alcohol fume? and having hav-ing it absorbed through his skin. He was one of six men who had been engaged in cleaning and varnishing a beer vat in a brewery. Of the six, three died within twelve hours. In normal times some preparations of bay rum, Honda water, witch hazel and liniments and various varnishes, lacquers and dyes contain wood alcohol. A year ago I wrote about a man who thought he had neuralgia. He rubbed with a liniment containing wood alcohol. When he stopped using the liniment his neuralgia ,i n 1- 1 11,1 .... nV.unrtmrl of OJirh rilVininC TO got well. Enough wood alcohol was absorbed at each rubbing to j make his nerves ache for a day. ... . . , Robinson tells us in the Journal of the American Medical Association of a Greek who dyed hats with colonte. His hands; were continually spotted with the dye and he absorbed the fumes. , Analysis of the dye made by the federal authorities showed that it contained wood alcohol. The man became blind. ... Robinson quotes a number of cases of blindness, among which is one reported by Campbell. This man became practically blind from rubbing his chest once a day for two weeks with a mixture containing wood alcohol. .... 1U On account of the use of gram alcohol for war purposes, the , high price of grain, and the government restrictions on the production produc-tion and sale of alcohol from grain, the use of wood alcohol will; certainly increase. t , Wood alcohol cuts oils and varnishes about as well as grain; alcohol. When properly refined it smells and tastes not unlike; grain alcohol, and it vaporizes much like the more expensive pro- dUttThe disturbed conditions engendered by the war are certain to 1 cause an increased use of wood alcohol. It has been suggested; that the government prohibit its manufacture and use. Thia sug-! gestion will not be acted upon, at least until times have again be- j come normal. . s It has also been suggested that the government legislate to j restrict the use of wood alcohol to those compounds in which it j will be least dangerous such a law, for instance, as that of Bo-, hernia. But even should such a law pass, there would still be; need of education. . i Every manufacturer of liniments, bay rum and Honda water; should loam that using wood alcohol in his products is hazardous, i not fnlv to the customer but to the trade as well. i Robinson savs that the United States internal revenue regu- lations for denaturing grain alcohol permit harmful proportions of , wood alcohol. Formula permits 10 parts of wood alcohol, 1 quart j benzine, 100 parts grain alcohol. Ten per cent wood alcohol is at dangerus proportion, as shown by the experiences of Bohemia and; Austria, and, according to Robinson, of England as well. Dr. . A. Evans in the Globe-Democrat. . . |