The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-11-06
The Poison Strychnine.

This drug, which has lately become so
notorious for destroying the lives OF human
beings, is a most deadly organic poison.
A dog has been killed with the sixth part
OF a grain and human being with less
When introduced into the stos,ach IL acts
with fearful energy, and causing lock-law
Immediately and death in a few minutes
Ii is odoriess, but so intensely bitter rs to
be perceptible to the taste when one part
is diluted in million parts of water.
The composition of strychnne is carbon
~, hydrogen "a. oxygen 4, nitrogen 2
! equivalents. lt Is coloress, and forms solu-
bic chrystalizable salts. Itis an alkaline base.
as is extracted principally from the .St,ych
nos nuS uom'cd. The tree from which
It is obtained is OF moderate size, and grows
IN several parts of the East Indies and the
Island of CeyloD. It's fruit are large or
ange.colored berries, the pulp Of which is
The iayoriie Of many birds. The seeds con.
tain the deadly poison. They are flat aud
round, about an inch in diameter, and
! gray in color. These seeds we've used AS a
medicine, and as poison, 10y ne IIind6os.
long before they were known i, Europe.
Many OF the natives Of Hindoostan often
use 1t as people use opium. Tiey com
Inenco with taking the eighth of nut n
day, and gradually increase their allowance
to an entire nut, which, would DO about
twenty grains. II they eat j, directly be
fore or after food, no unpleasant effects are
produced, but if they neglect this precau.
ton, spasms are the result.
The bark of the tree is also poisonous,
and from It's resemblance to Angustura or
Cusparia bark, a tonic medicine imported
from South America, caused great deal
OF alarm and excitement in Germany in
the early part of this century by being
mixed with bark. No sure antidote has
yet been discovered for this poison, but
some chemists have attained to great skill
in detecting il, when administered as a poi
son. The following is DIR. Thompson's me.
ihod Of detecting the one.thousandth part,
of grain:
"Having placed a drop Of strong suIphu.
nc acid on piece of glass, add TO il a small
| quantity OF the suspected substance. and
STIR the whole together so as to favor solu.
tioni then sprinkle over the mixture little
powdered bichromate of potash. and gently
move a glass rod through the fluid. il
strychnia be present, n violet color of con
siderable beauty will to almost immediate.
iy produced, which, after n few minutes.
will fade into reddish yellow, but may
be renewed by the addition of more bichro.
mate, as long rs any strychnia remains un.
destroyed in the mixture. In this way the
thousandth part of a grain Of tha, aikaloid
may be made 10 yield very decisive indi
cation. The points to be noticed are that
suphurc acid alone produces no apparent
effect, and tha; the action begins at once
round each particle ofthe bicIromate, so
that II the glass be held in vertical posi-.
ton, streams OF "A violet colored fluid NAV be
seen to flow from each particle: and If at
this time the whole he slowly stirred. The
entire bulk OF the iuid will speedily assume
.he same characteristic tint.n
----~---
| SHAEsPEARE AND DANrE.--Shakspear
almost always implies total difference in
nature between one human being aud AN.
other; one being from the birth pure and af
feetonate, another base and cruel: and he
displays eachin its sphere as having the
nature of dove, wolf, or lion, never mueh
implying the government Or change Of M.
tnre 10y any external principle. There can
! be no question that in the main he is right
IN this view OF human nature; still, the
other form of virtue does exist occa
| sionay, and WAS never, rs far "A reeol-
| lect, taken much note OF Ly him. And
! with This stern view of humanity Shaks.
! Peare joined sorrowful view Of fate clo,e.
! ly resembling that Of the ancienis. lie is
! distinguished from Dante emirentlg bv his
! always dwelling on last causes instead of
INST causes. Dante invariably points to the
mo'2ent OF the souls choice which fixed lis
fate, TO the instant of the day when il reaa
I no farther, or determined TO give bad nd
/ vice about Penestrino Bot Shakespeare
! always leans on the force of Cate. as it urras
tue final evil; and dwei!s with Infinite bit
terness-on the power OF The wicked, ana the
/ intiniude OF result, dependent seeminclr on
little lhings. a fool brings the last piece Of
news from Verona, and the dearest lives OF
ITS noble houses are lost; they might have
been saved il the sacrisiSu bad not stun,
bIed rs he walked. Othelo miSlays his
| handkerchief, aud there remains nothing
Tor him but death. Hamlet gets hold of
the wrong foil, and the rest is silence. Ell
/ murds runner Is moment too late at the
! PRISON, and the feather will not move At
/ CoIdelia's lips. Salisbury moment too
J late at The tower, and Arthur lies on the
! stones dead. Gonofjl and laao have on the
whole in this world. Shakespeare sees. much
OF their own way, Hough they comot to a
/ bad end. II Is a pin that death pierccs the
/ kings fortress walls with; and careIessness
( and folly sit. Sceptered and dreadful, side
by side with epn-amel skeleton Rus
Kin