The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1822-08-28
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

Fafal consequence q araklRg Noyean.
Ou teadei, are II course aware, that u IS
q p, aciice amooss many i'ade siNe0, TO keep
o bottle OF so,Ae liquor, either wine or spirits,
behind the coun,er, Tor the purpose OF regal.
iog taei customers. A shupkeepar IN tho
country, in observing This custom, selected
noyeau for this purpose, which seems to have
pleased tho taste Of his friends SO well, that
acvo,si regretted i, was not stronger. The
Complaisan, usdesmaD, resl,zi0g tho fabIe OF
The Old Mao aud The Ass, by wishing to O.
cIge evoiy body, trsnsmitted an order to
person who manufactured his noyeau, that he
would prepare him ce,tsin quantity of double
ste usual ssrengsh. This wa, complied WIN,
without either ioqairy on one part, or expian-
alton on the othe'. Shortly alter the noyeau
had arrived, a lady visited the shop and being
IN excellent customer, the tradssn1an was de-
s'rous Of evincing his respect, end therefore
presented her with the f'H glass OF his i'm.
proved cordial. The lady drank II, and 10
few minutes afterwards, fell down and expired.
Ihe terror o. the man was so greatly height.
cnsd, by tho observations Of tho b, e.standers,
VINO, rema' king The coincidence OF her death,
and her taking tho noyeau, asserted that he
must have given her poison he assure cd ,hem
3
and TO convince them, as lie conceived, ot it's
ha'miess qualities, he slez,d the bottle, and
pouring cut a glass Of O., drsnk II in agony Of
eafnsstness, when SO rapid was the sc'ion
Of TINS po,en, poison, that tho persons before
him had not time TO relapse from the aiten
,ion which his cooduet ex,or,ed, before they
were sssailed win the additional horror OF
Witnessing the deslruct,oo Of a second victim
Il c~n
hany OF our readers doubtless know,,ha Prus.
sic acid is one Of .ke most potent ,.Iisons in
the vegetable kingdom and II 10 10 the pres.
cnce Of this principle in noyeao," ratiii,,"
"biack cherry water," and other similar arti-
ces, tha, their f,vor, a. wei, as their petnic.
ious qu lnies is owing. The kernels OF cher.
es, peaches, and spSco,s, as we'll AS sweet
and bitter almonds, contain Prussic acid /; the
hiiie' almond possesses It 10 . greet degree
An infusion OF peach Ioavcs, or oi lauSei or
E.c,aiiac leaves, is found to be mos, power
fu and dangerous III edcine, because il con-
,ains Prussic acid /; in fae, II is possible, by
the skill OF the chy mist, TO obtain this acid in
such concentrated state, from olmonds,
peach leaves, or soy OF the substance. before
enumerated, thot single drop fading upon
or fouch'ag the skin Of any par, Of tho body,
Destroys tyc simultaneously the moment
the poison has touched The skin the person
fats dead, as though he had been killed by
st,oks OF lightning but such q dangerous
process IL Il 10 obtain Prussic acid in this
state Of purity, tina, lew, if any, will incur the
dreadful risk in preparing il; Cor should the
finger Of tho operator touch the matter nc
has prepared. he dios for his ,emeri,y. We
believe Mr.. IL. jennings q gentlemsn we'll
known as one Of The most ingenious and PHI.
losophicai cxperimen,ors Of this country, hes
oo,sioed IL In a state equs. or neatly so, to
this Mrength the s.opper of the bottle only
applied 10 the nose oi large Newfoundland
dog, produced instant death to the animal
ha, violent and dreadful as are the effects oI
this poison, il Is, nevertheless, . most valus-
BILE medicine in ell those diseases in which 1t
Is desirable to depress the vital powers.
London Gazette Of Health.