During the last two years, my attention has been called to ten cases of poisoning from the use of shoe dyes which contain either nitrobenzene or anilin as a solvent and which are used to dye tan or light colored leather black. These cases have been characterized by marked cyanosis, sometimes accompanied by vertigo and weakness, digestive disorders, headache and somnolence.
The danger of poisoning from nitrobenzene or anilin has been discussed particularly with regard to industrial workers. This phase of nitrobenzene and anilin intoxication is perhaps best summarized by Hamilton,1 who made a thorough investigation of such poisoning in the American dye industry. Many cases of accidental poisoning by nitrobenzene or anilin through the spilling or splashing of these liquids on the skin or clothing are recorded in the medical literature. Painters using anilin-containing paint have been poisoned by the absorption of this oil through the skin.2