Lead in urine has been determined by an ashing technique to give total lead and by a standard coprecipitation technique to give precipitable lead. In 44 normal subjects values obtained by both methods were the same. In 72 subjects exposed to lead, of whom 57 had clinical lead poisoning, the precipitable lead was significantly less than the total lead. As much as 40 % of urinary lead can escape determination by the coprecipitation methods of estimation. Preliminary findings suggest that the non-precipitable lead may be present as a natural chelate. The significance of these observations is discussed. The danger is stressed that cases of threatened lead intoxication may be overlooked if only coprecipitation methods of estimating lead in urine are used.

Psychiatry represents the medical branch that focuses not only on the patient’s mental state but also on general health issues and wellbeing. With the continuous development of human civilization, the individual no longer uses aggression, a counterproductive method for day to day living in the community, to meet its basic needs. Neurobiological changes that lead to aggressive manifestations are a medical problem only if the aggressive impulses occur in a person with a psychiatric diagnosis already established and poses a danger to himself and others. Aggressive behaviour due to a medical condition or biological factors is an old problem that has great forensic implications both for the patient and for the medical staff. Decreased quality of life, low emotional support and social marginalization are some of the repercussions that emerge. Understanding the negative effects of aggressive impulses found in multiple psychiatric diagnoses is the key to an optimal doctor-patient relationship. An individualized treatment is necessary, the final goal being social reintegration.

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