[Forensic questions following the use of the "chemical club"].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Berg.
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To answer the question whether a negative result of gas chromatographic blood analysis for components of chemical mace proves that no or at most only slight tear gas exposure can have occurred, animal experiments were carried out. In the blood of 10 guinea pigs, which were exposed to the contents of chemical mace for 1--6 h, the solvants 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluorethane (freon 113) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane could easily be detected--even 23 h after the end of exposure or after a storage of the blood samples for 18 weeks--whereas the lacrimator chloracetophenone (CN) could not be found at all. In vitro experiments showed that CN relatively quickly reacts with components of blood. Therefore, blood samples should be analyzed for CN after withdrawal as soon as possible. In case of inhalation of the contents of chemical mace, i.e., after the comparatively mildest form of CN application, most probably no traces of the lacrimator at all can pass into the blood due to the quick reaction of CN with proteins of the respiratory surface of the lung.
Even when the extraction method of Fazekas for the determination of the so-called free histamine and serotonin is used, different dorsal skin areas of laboratory animals show certain differences in the amine content, which reach higher values for histamine than for 5-HT. 1) Related to the animal collective, no differences in the mean values of the 5-HT and histamine content between the right and left side of damaged dorsal skin of guinea pigs resulted, although in single cases remarkable differences (up to 1.26 microgram/g) were found. Descending from nuchal to caudal a decrease of the amine content--less in case of 5-HT, more in case of histamine--is noticed. The observed topical differences possibly depend on the continous moulting of the animals. 2) From these analytical data a method for statistical prediction is derived, which allows to state, when and with which probability a single difference value exceeds the normal variance. Applied to the comparative measurements wounded skin/control skin it is thus made possible to test the validity of the findings obtained in practical cases. 3) Postmortal changes of the amine content of the wounded as well as the normal skin are not detectable for the 5-HT, while in the case of histamine solely the values of the damaged skin first show a decrease (24 h p.m.), followed by an increase (48 h p.m., bacterial neogenesis?).
Guinea pigs were poisoned by large oral doses of hypnotics in order to study the effect of bromureides on the mast cell contents of the lungs in comparison to the influence of barbiturate intoxication. The dose of the hypnotics chosen was thus, that all animals died within the first three hours after the beginning of feeding. Then the degranulation of mast cells with decrease of the mast cell number in the lung tissue was merely small in the barbiturate poisoned animals, but very extensive in the animals intoxicated by bromureides. The difference is highly significant. The possible influence of this effect upon the different clinical course of both kinds of intoxication is discussed.
1) The influence of acids and bases on the development of the early wound reactions in the intact and the mechanically injured skin of guinea pigs was investigated. The cellular and the enzymohistochemical reactions showed to be different: the tissue leucocytosis after mechanical trauma is less restrained by chemical effects than the reactive increase of enzymic activity in the border of wounds, which proved to be affected by acids more than by bases. Changes in activity of structure bound enzymes could not be demonstrated in the skin after mere action of acids and bases, but only after mechanical trauma. The cellular reaction is in the border of the base necrosis more compact, in case of the acid necrosis broader and more diffuse. Characteristic changes in the nucleus were preferentially found after basic reaction. 2) In the mechanically unhurt skin a significant excess of histamine was found after the action of acids, while the liberation of serotonin was distinctly decreased. After incision and addition of acid the histamine level was decreased and the serotonin concentration significantly increased. After exposition of guinea pig skin to chemicals, the concentrations of the so-called tissue hormones showed a contrary course. 3) After postmortal incision and following cauterization a distinct increase of histamine was found in the wound area. Generally the excess of free histamine in comparison to the unhurt skin is considered to be a vital reaction. But because degranulation of mast cells and liberation of histamine can also be caused by chemical influence in the postmortal period, a critical interpretation in cases of skin exposition to acids or bases is necessary.
A subsample of 229 persons from the population study "70-year-olds in Gothenburg" was studied with different intelligence tests. The non-response was 15%, and another 4% refused to take part in the psychological examination or had handicaps which made the performance of all or some of the tests impossible. Measurements were made of verbal meaning (SRB1), reasoning (SRB2), spatial ability (SRB3), perceptual speed (Ps-if) and logical thinking and observation (Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices). There were no differences in the tests between men and women except with Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, where the men had a better score. Amongst the women, those who had received a longer education had a better score compared with those who had had less education. Norm-tables for the different tests are presented. As far as could be judged from cross-sectional comparisons the average general cognitive capability was good, even though the 70-year-olds to a higher degree were suffering from mental disorders than younger individuals and more often were living in social situations that could have influenced basic physical and mental functions. The perceptual speed was the only ability that showed a marked change at the age of 70.
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The influence of loss of blood and alcohol intoxication on wound reactions in the first 12 hours after incisions into the skin of the back of guinea pigs was examined. As the most important result we found differences in the cellular and zymohistochemical reactions: while begin and progression of the dermal leucocytosis were not influenced, the parallel running activation of different structure bound enzymes was significantly delayed and decreased. Considering the first result and the haematogenous origin of the leucocytes there is reason to believe that in the hierarchy of the biological control circuit-at least in guinea pigs-the local reflex hyperaemia of the wound area certainly is primary to the dermal vasoconstriction during collapse. The animals with haemorrhagic shock showed a retardation in the liberation of histamine and serotonin. This decrease of the local mediators of the stromae dissociation is considered the reason of the impaired initial enzyme activities in the mesenchymal tissue.
Alcohol--orally given in concentrations from 1 to 4 g/kg body-weight--leads to a reduction of mast cells in the guinea pig lung. At the same time a minor decrease of histamine concentration was observed. The incompatibility reaction with alcohol after disulfiram intake (DAR) shows an additional degranulation oft mast cells of the lungs and decrease of histamine-content. So far, there seems little difference between the influence of disulfiram alone and the DAR. Besides thrombocytes and basophile leucocytes, the mast cells of the lung are responsible for the release of histamine and serotonine during higher alcohol concentrations and alcohol-disulfiram-reactions. We think that the intolerance phenomena of humans after alcohol--f.e. in form of flush-reaction--is at least partly related to the concomitant influence oft mast cell-substances.
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