Chemistry and Toxicology for Nurses by Philip Asher

iOLOGY LIBRARY

i GIFT OF Pacific Coast al

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BIOLOGY

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CHEMISTRY and

TOXICOLOGY

,

;

-,

^

/or

BY

PHILIP ASHER,

Ph. G., M. D.

DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AT THE NEW ORLEANS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, NEW ORLEANS

PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON

W.

B.

SAUNDERS COMPANY 1914

QD3I

L.itOGt LIBRA!"

G FT PAG I

I

FIG

OF NURSING TO

Copyright, 1914, by

W.

PRINTED

IN

H/3^

B. Saunders

AMERICA

PRESS OF W.

B.

JRN AL

GO A

8AUNDER8 COMPANY PHILADELPHIA

Company

OEPT,;

PREFACE IN offering ficing

this

volume to that

women who

and sacriwork to the

class of noble

are to devote their

life's

aid of suffering humanity and to assist the physician in his labors, the author feels that a work of this small

be of service to them in the better understanding of the many problems with which they may be brought in daily contact. If, with all its simplicity,

compass

may

be found of service to the great number following these endeavor and they gain such information as will be of practical service to them, the author feels it

fields of

that his efforts will have been well repaid. his constant

aim to make

this

work

It has been

as instructive as

and his object has been to its practical import, the student keep constantly before so that this little volume may also be her companion its

compactness

will permit,

after leaving her

The author was

home

of instruction.

for a long time

undecided to take up

but upon the earnest solicitation of his friends, thoroughly conversant with nursing, as to the need of

this task,

a book of such elementary character, this work was un-

Yet, notwithstanding such encouragement, that an apology is due for the very element-

dertaken.

he

feels

ary nature of this work, and requests the reader to bear mind that the treatise is not intended as a text-book

in

of this

most

interesting science, with its

743510

many

ramifica-

PREFACE

6

but merely as an aid to those taking up the study of Nursing, and if a more thorough knowledge of tne tions,

subject

is

desired, it is advised that

some

of the

numer-

ous works upon chemistry be consulted. Under the captions of those substances which are

used in medicine there ties,

doses,

and

uses.

is

given their medicinal properattempt has been made to

No

give exact atomic and molecular weights, which have been rounded off to whole numbers. The text contains

formulae of compounds, which are added not with a view of abbreviation, but to familiarize the student

with them.

Chemical equations are given with only the more important reactions, and, in a number of instances, with no intention of having the student study them, but merely as

illustrations.

PHILIP ASHER.

NEW

ORLEANS, LA., October,

1914.

CONTENTS PAGE

INTRODUCTION

n

NOMENCLATURE

12

PART

I

NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS

22 22

Hydrogen Oxygen Ozone Water

25 26

Hydrogen Peroxid or Hydrogen Dioxid

30

23

Nitrogen

31

Ammonia

32

Compounds of Nitrogen and Oxygen Nitrogen Monoxid Nitrogen Dioxid or Nitric Acid

34

Nitric Acid

35

The Air

37

34 35

or Atmosphere

Carbon

38

Silicon

45

Boron

45

Sulphur

47

Phosphorus

52

Halogens

58

Chlorin

59 62

lodin

Bromin

65 66

Fluorin

Acids of the Halogens

67

METALLIC ELEMENTS

68

Alkali Metals

71

Potassium and Sodium

72

7

CONTENTS

8

PAGE

Lithium ............................. ...... .............

80

Ammonium Compounds ..................................

80

Alkaline Earth Metals ....................................

82

Calcium ........... .................................... Strontium .................. .............................

82

,

84

Barium .................................................

85 86

Magnesium ........... ................................. Aluminum .............................................. .

Iron .........................

87

..........................

89

Manganese ..............................................

93

.

Chromium .............................................. Nickel .......................................... ........ Cobalt ..................................................

95

96 97

Zinc ....................................................

97 99

Copper ................................................. 102 Bismuth ................................................ 104 Silver ................................. .................

107

Mercury ................................................ 109 Arsenic .................................................. 114 Antimony ............................................... 1 16

PART

II

CHEMISTRY OF CARBON AND ITS COMPOUNDS

119

Halogen Derivatives, or Haloid Ethers

1

Alcohols

125 128

Aldehyds Ketones

23

130

Sulphur Derivatives Ethers

131

Organic Acids Dibasic Acids

134

Amino-acids

139

Amins

140

Aromatic, Closed Chain, or Cyclic Hydrocarbons Isomeric Compounds of the Aromatic Hydrocarbons

141

Heterocyclic Hydrocarbons

150

Terpenes

151

Carbohydrates

153

Alkaloids

155

131

136

144

CONTENTS

PART

9

III

PHYSIOLOGIC CHEMISTRY

PAGE 161

Proteins

161

Milk

164 168

Urine Pathologic Constituents of Urine and Tests

INDEX.

.

172

181

CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGY FOR NURSES INTRODUCTION

-

is

the science that teaches of the ele-

their

compounds, and investigates the laws

CHEMISTRY ments and

'- : - >

of their combinations.

Elements are those

particles of

matter that, up to

the present time, have not been reduced to simpler

For example, oxygen is said to be an element because, no matter how it may be treated, it cannot be ones.

reduced any further.

pound because we viz.,

is

true of iron

Water, on the other hand,

other elements.

elements,

The same

are able to

decompose

it

and the a com-

is

two

into

hydrogen and oxygen.

ELEMENTS FOUND IN THE BODY Carbon

13.5 per cent.

"

Hydrogen

9.1

Nitrogen

2.5

" "

Oxygen

72.0

These constitute about 97 per weight; the other 3 per cent, portions

among

is

cent, of the total

body

divided in various pro-

the following elements:

Phosphorus, 11

CHEMISTRY FOR NURSES

12

calcium, sulphur, sodium, potassium, chlorin, fluorin iron, silicon,

magnesium, and

The elements

arsenic.

are divided into two classes

the metals

:

and the non-metals; the former usually forming the bases of compounds, and the latter entering into the formation of

yf.ds.

;

/T&& elements are expressed by symbols. i

I

Symbols

are either single letters or two letters signifying the

element they represent.

For instance,

the symbol

is

The

of oxygen; it is the initial letter of that word.

commoner elements are usually expressed by a single letter,

but when one element has the same

as another element its difference

initial letter

shown by adding a

is

For

small letter to the initial letter of the element.

example, carbon

and

cobalt is

is

expressed

by

C, while calcium

is

Ca,

compounds which the organic and

are

Co.

The elements combine

to form

divided into two main classes

in-

organic.

NOMENCLATURE Before chemistry,

named

is

the

student can understand

a knowledge of

the

study of

compounds

are

necessary.

The compounds classes, of

how

the

are divided into a great

which the acids and

number

salts constitute

of

a large

majority.

Acids are defined as those substances which possess a sour taste and have the property of changing vegetable

NOMENCLATURE colors,

and which, when added

gen.

They

A

oxyacids.

binary acid, as its

two elements.

of

to metals, give off hydro-

divided into two main classes: the

are

and the

binary acids

13

name

implies, is only

composed

An

no oxygen.

It contains

oxyacid

one containing oxygen.

is

A all

In

binary acid forms salts ending in "id."

binary compounds, that

is,

posed of but two elements, end in "id." which, when

formula of hydrochloric acid, to a metal, forms a salt

known

used, the salt formed

would be iron

and

its

fact,

those compounds com-

as a chlorid.

HC1

is

it is

added

If iron

were

HBr

chlorid.

compounds or

the

is

are

salts

hydrobromic

acid,

bromids.

iron and sulphur were heated together,

If

compound would be

the resulting

iron sulphid.

Oxyacids are subdivided into three

amount

taining the greatest acids; those with acids, the of

oxygen

oxygen

of oxygen, called the "ic"

one atom of oxygen

less

than the "ic"

less

"ous" acids; and those having less

those con-

classes:

still

one atom

than the "ous" acids, or two atoms of ous" acids.

than the "ic" acids, the "hypo

The oxyacids owe

their characteristic property to

an

element which distinguishes them from the other oxyacids.

For

instance,

the

element

characteristic

of

nitric acid is nitrogen; while in sulphuric acid it is sul-

phur. tains

H SO 2

4

is

the formula of sulphuric acid,

the largest

phurous acid, and

amount it

of

oxygen.

H S0 2

has one atom of oxygen

3

it

con-

is

sul-

less

than

CHEMISTRY FOR NURSES

14

the preceding acid; H2S02

atom

contains one

two atoms form

salts

hyposulphurous acid and

is

oxygen

than sulphurous and

less

than the sulphimc.

less

The

"ic" acids

ending in "ate"; the "ous" acids ending in

"ite"; while the ites."

of

Thus,

ous" acids form the "hypo

"hypo

e.

acid

sulphuric

g.,

forms

-

sulphates;

sulphurous acid forms sulphites; while hyposulphurous acid produces hyposulphites.

From a

strictly theoretic point

of view,

all

acids,

whether binary or oxyacids, are divided in two parts: the replaceable hydrogen and the acid radical. is

Replaceable hydrogen

THAT HYDROGEN that an acid

contains which can be replaced

When an

acid acts

by a metal or

upon a metal an evolution

base.

of a gas is

noticed; this gas is the replaceable hydrogen given off

by the

acid.

All acids contain hydrogen, but all

acids cannot be replaced.

all

the hydrogen of

Sulphuric acid,

H SO4, 2

contains two atoms of hydrogen, both of which can be Acetic acid,

replaced.

of hydrogen, only

HC H O 2

3

2,

contains four atoms

one of which can be replaced.

For

convenience the number of replaceable hydrogens an acid contains

is

shown by placing them

at the beginning

of the formula:

H SO 2

4

Sulphuric acid.

Acid Radicle.

H PO

HN0

HC H O

Phosphoric

Nitric

Acetic acid,

acid.

acid.

3

4

Radicles

3

are

3

3

2

groups of unsaturated

elements playing the part of single elements.

Radicles

NOMENCLATURE

15

cannot exist by themselves, only in combination, as nothing exists, from the chemical aspect, unless all

bonds or valencies are

its

The graphic

satisfied.

formula of sulphuric acid, or the formula which portrays

how each element

in

a

compound

is

joined

to the other, is

H Ox ^O S H