Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-10-05
Fatal consequences ofdrtnking .36yean.

I'atal consequences Of drinking Aegean.
From the Gazette OF Health.
" 1t is ever painful duty we perform
to report the sacrifices OF human cXis-
tcnce, from whatever cause derived, but
when the liability TO such dreadful ca
tasirophes is connected with any of our
familiar habits OF life, we are bound,
from the office we have imposed on our
selves as conservators OF the public
health, not simply to The narration o!
facts, but TO all the collateral circum-
stances which elucidale the subject, SO
as to put the general reader in posses
. sion OF such information, as removes the
danger to which the want of ledge
of The subject necessarily subjects him.
Our readers are of course aware that it
Is a practice amongst many tradesman
10 keep bottle of some Liquor, either
wine or spirits, behind the counter, for
the purpose OF RECALLING heir customers.
A shop keeper in the country, in OBJ
serving this custom, selected noyeau
tor this purpose, which seems 10 have
pleased the taste OF his friends so well
that several regretted that i, was not
stronger. The complaisan, tradesman,
realized the fable OF the Old Man and
the Ass, by Wishing to oblige every bo-
dy, RENTED an order 10 person who
manufactured his noyeau, that he would
prepare him certain quantity OF d,uble
The usual strenSth. This was complied
with without either inquiries on one part,
OR explanation OH the other. Shortly
after the noyeau had arrived, lady
visited the shop, who being an excclen,
customer, the tradesman was desrious
of evincing his respect, and therefore
presented her with the first glass OF his
improved cordial. The lady drank it,
and in a few minutes afterwards fell on
the floor and expired. The terror Of the
poor man was heightened TO a greater
degree by the observations of the bystand-
ers, who, remarking the coincidence of
her death, and her taking the noyeau,
assured that he must have given her
poison: he assured them that it was
" nothing but ncyedu" she had taken,
and 10 convince them, as he conceived
of its harmless qualities, be seized the
bottle. and pouring out glass of it drank
it in an agony OF earnestness, when SO
rapid was the action of this potent poi
son, that the persons before him had not
time to relapse from the attention which
his conduct extorted, before they were
assailed with an additional horror Of wit
Messing the destruction of second VIC
tim 1.-THE poor man trembled, fell and
expired. Many of our readers doubt
less know, that prussic acid is one of the
most potent poisons in the vegetable
kingdom and it is to the presence of
this principle in noyeau," "ratafia,"
"black cherry water" and other SINH
lar articles, that their flavor, as well as
their pernicious qualities, is owing. The
kernels Of cherries, peaches, and april
cots as well as sweet and bitter almonds,
contain Prussic acid; the bitter almond
possesses ii in great degree. An in
fusion of peach leaves, and of laurel or
nectarne leaves, is found to be power
full and dangerous medicine, because ii
contains prussic acid; in fine it is posi-
Bile, by the skill of the chemist, to OBJ
tain this acid in such concentrated
state, (from almonds, peach leaves, or
any of,he substances before enumerated)
that single drop falling uhon or touch
ing the skin upon any part of the body,
destroys life instantaneously the mo-
ment the poison has touched the skin
the person falls dead as though they had
been killed with stroke of lightning
bit such dangerous process is it to OBJ
tain prussic acid in this state Of purity,
that few if any, will incur the dreadful
risk inpreparing it; for should the fin
ger Of the operator but touch the matter
he mas prepared, he dies for his teme-
rity. We believe Mr.. H. c, Jennings, a
gentleman well known as one of the
most ingenious and philosophical ex-
perimenters OF this country, has obtained
it in state equal, or nearly so, to this
strength the stopper Of "a bottle only
applied to the nose of a large Newfound-
land dog, produced instant death TO the
animal. But violent and dreadful as
are the effects of this poison ii is never
theless the most valuable medicine in
all those diseases in which il is desira-
Bile to depress the vital powers"
7 John M'Lean, of Ohio, formerly a |
Member Of Congress from that state, has :
been appointed by the President, Com
OF the General Land Office, in
the place of.he late Josiah Meigs.