Effect of Intrabronchial Insufflation of Solutions of Some Inorganic Salts

Intrabronchial injections of isotonic as well as of hypotonic solutions of sodium chloride or even of distilled water cause no pulmonary lesions. Intrabronchial injections of mercuric chloride even in a dilution of 1:10,000 cause a marked pulmonary lesion. The lesion is not of an inflammatory character; it consists of congestion, formation of thrombi, and hemorrhage. Intrabronchial injections of hypertonic solutions of sodium chloride as well as of sodium sulfate cause, in most instances, no lesions whatsoever. In a smaller number of cases in which moderate lesions were present they may have been due either to a previous infection (distemper) or to some predisposing cause (winter months). Intrabronchial injection of magnesium salts apparently tends to cause moderate pulmonary lesions (bronchopneumonia). This seems especially true of magnesium sulfate.