The man aged 31, who had attempted suicide by taking poison of the herbicide PARAQUAT, died of its toxicity 12 hours later.In 3 hours of his hospitalization, the blood chemistry examination showed slight hepatic and renal failure and abnormality of electrolite in the serum.The examinations of E. C. G., X-ray, urine and stool could not be studied for shortness of his hospitalization.
At the time of post-mortem examination, for the chemical assay of PARAQUAT a piece of tissue was cut out from each organ, which were demonstrated in the liver, kidney, and contents of the stomach and intestine.At autopsy, the marked atrophy of the adrenal gland, congestion and edema of the lung, corrosive inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, and degeneration of the liver and kidney were recognized.Clear toxic findings were not evident on gross appearance.Microscopically, the zonal necrosis in the adrenal, toxic neuropathia, focal degeneration and cytolytic necrosis in the liver, kidney and gastrointestinal mucosa, heavy congestion and edema of the lung, and slight fatty degeneration of the liver were noted.
The pathohistological appearance of poisoning by herbicide was compared with that of insecticide on other reports.And in present report, it was discussed that the toxicity of PARAQUAT may exhibit the similar findings as that of other organic chlorinated hydrocarbons.