ACUTE PHOSPHORUS POISONING

Abstract

Marked hepatic enlargement, severe jaundice, hematemesis, melena, and coma in phosphorus poisoning usually point to a fatal outcome. A case is reported in which the patient recovered after presenting these manifestations. REPORT OF CASE History .—C. O., a boy, aged 16 months, was referred to Dr. Frederic H. Bartlett at the Babies' Hospital on July 31, 1924, on account of vomiting for four days and unconsciousness for three hours. The patient was an only child of healthy parents. He had never been ill and was rather above the average in his mental and physical development. On July 25, six days before admission to the hospital, he had been found playing with a box of roach paste known to contain 0.5 per cent yellow phosphorus. While it was not definitely known that he swallowed any of it, medical advice was sought the next day because of regurgitation after meals. After examination,