Document 91JRqyq1ymV4xM9v03YrrdeQ5

38--Industrial Toxicology picrates more sensitive to explosion than the picnc acid Containers should be plainly marked Ex plosive--Keep Fihe and Open Flames Away, and the same notice should be posted at the doors of all rooms where the material is stored or used The no smoking rule should be enforced m such areas, electrical installa tions should be explosion-proof in accordance with the regulations of the National Fire Pro tection Association, and other sources of igni tion. such as welding, must be controlled Picnc acid was once used extensively as a dressing for bums This use has been largely discontinued because many cases of skin irntation and systemic poisoning resulted from application of concentrations as low as 1 per cent to large areas of the skin Picnc acid is rapidly absorbed through the unbroken skin and even more rapidly through wounds, leading to headache, shivenng, fever, and insomnia Absorbed m larger quantities, it produces jaundice and severe inflammation of the kidneys Exposure to the dust of picnc acid may cause lrntation of the nose and throat, and especially of the eyes, leading to ulceration of the cornea Poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac are plant species whose toxic lmtant has been identified as umshiol The dermatitis is the result of hypersensitization to this com pound Individual susceptibility vanes greatlv and also changes from time to time, depend ing, at least in part, on how long it has been since the last exposure No one is so com pletely immune, however, that a sufficiently rigorous exposure will not result m dermatitis Since reaction to these plants is a hypersensitizahon, it seems logical that individuals could be desensitized by injections of grad uated doses of the punfied extract This has been attempted m many instances, and there are a number of extracts on the market for the purpose Thev seem to give some limited pro tection to sensitive individuals The poisoning can most effectively be pre vented by destruction of the plants with one or two applications of a herbicide such as one of the 2,4-D formulations Destruction by grub bing out and burning is both expensive and hazardous for the men doing the work and is no more effective than use of the herbicide 1166 Potassium chlorate--see Sodium chlorate. Potassium cyanide--see Sodium cyanide. Potassium hydroxide is a white solid ex tremely soluble in water It is most com monly furnished as a concentrated solution in tank-car quantities and as the solid in flakes, pellets, and sticks, or cast solid in glass or in metal drums The most common injuries suffered with potassium hydroxide are bums of the skin or eyes, caused by solid particles and splashing of the concentrated solution from attempts to dissolve the solid in hot water The solid alkali generates so much heat on dissolving that there is often local boiling even when cold water is used To dissolve the material from a drum m which it is cast solid, the drum should be suspended near the top of a tank of lukewarm water so that the water can circulate through the drum The high density of the concen trated solution will promote circulation from the top to the bottom of the tank This method will provide both faster solution and less possibility of injury than any other First aid for alkali bums consists of wash ing awav the solid or the solution with large quantities of cold water, preferably under a deluge shower, and treating the injury as a heat bum The washing of alkali bums should be particularly thoiough because of the tendency of the alkalis to penetrate into the skin and continue burning even when thought to be washed away Eyes injured by potassium hydroxide should be washed with a gentle stream of water for at least fifteen minutes and should then be immediately brought under medical care Be cause of the penetrating properties of alkalis, the injuries may be extremely severe Propyl acetate, either n-propvl or lsopropvl, is a mild irritant to the eyes, nose, and upper respiratory tract These compounds are also potent narcotics, the narcotic effect being about the same as that of ether at the same volume concentration There is no evidence that the effects are cumulative Propyl alcohol (propanol) is mainly a re spiratory and eve irritant Liver damage in