Post-mortem concentration of cadmium

155

precatory bean or crabs-eye. Its attractive appearance as well as its use for necklaces, rosaries and other decorations has led to accidental ingestions, especially by children. A. precu toriys seeds constitute a public health as well as a veterinary problem (S. K. Niyogi, N. Eng. J. Med., 281 (1969) 51). Once poisoning occurs there is no way known of antidoting the toxicity either in human beings or animals. The toxic principles of A. preca torius which are water extractable show the chemical characteristics of protein (S. K. Niyogi, J. Forensic Sci., 15 (1970) 529). The cause of death by A b-us poison is not known. This investigation was undertaken to study the level of the enzymes, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and isocitric dehydrogenase (ICD), in serum of different species (mice, rats and guinea-pigs) poisoned with A. precatorius. The GOT, GPT and ICD levels in serum were measured by UV methods. Animals were injected subcutaneously with the extract of A. precatorius and they were sacrificed 20 - 25 hours after injection. Mice were given 0.8 - 4 mg/kg of A. preca torius extract. The GOT level was increased about 4 - 12 times, whereas the GPT level was slightly elevated. Guinea-pigs as well as rats receiving 4 - 6 mg/kg of A. precatorius extract showed about a 5 - 11 fold elevation of GOT level and a slight increase of GPT level. The ICD level in serum was studied in mice which had been given 1 - 2 mg/kg of A. precatorius extract. There was an elevation of ICD level about 2 - 3 fold. These findings indicate that liver necrosis may play an important role in A bus poisoning. The basic mechanism of death due to A brus poisoning is not known. Although hyperaemia of the intestine associated with bloody contents and the agglutination of erythrocytes were observed in different species as well as in human beings, the elevation of these enzyme levels in serum will give further lead to determine A. precu torius poisoning. A case of human fatal poisoning due to A. precatorius will be presented. Noirfalise,

A. (Liege, Belgium)

POST-MORTEM

CONCENTRATION

OF

CADMIUM

The subject in question worked for a company in which he was exposed to cadmium fumes. Eight years after he had left this job he died. His body was exhumed five years after burial and the viscera - lungs, liver and kidney - were subjected to qualitative and quantitative toxicological examinations by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Our discussions are based on both reported findings and personal experiments. Oliver, J. S. and H. Smith (Glasgow, POISONING

BY

DRUGS

AND

U.K.)

ALCOHOL

A review has been made of fatal poisoning cases investigated in Scotland by the authors over the last ten years. A high incidence of alcohol in these cases was found. The drug levels in poisonings where a single drug was present are compared with those where significant levels of alcohol were encountered. Generally, when alcohol was present the level of the drug found was lower. This is well illustrated in the case of barbiturate poisonings which