PNEUMONIA FROM INHALATION OF ZINC STEARATE TALCUM POWDER

A child, aged 8 months old, who was given a can of zinc stearate talcum to play with, was heard to cough, drawing the mother's attention. Talcum was found on the child's face and in its mouth. The mother washed out what she could, and then called me. I arrived in a few minutes, Nov. 18, 1922, and gave an emetic, which brought up some powder. The child seemed limp, with shallow respirations, and the pulse ranging about 90. At midnight the condition became rapidly worse. The lungs became congested, breathing was difficult, and the child moaned. The temperature rose to 104.6 and remained there in spite of treatment. High enemas brought gray and whitish discharges. The baby nursed until eighteen hours before the end, which came, November 20. The lungs were congested and filled with liquid. The temperature was 105, the respiration 97 and the pulse 105, according to