American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-07-01
PoISONS.

"hSt Is poisonT Every one knows,
no one can say.
We know that certain substances are
poisonous: arsenic. for instance, but we do
not know wherein this terriLle quality lies
may. We know that in diminished dose
the same arsenic becomes medicine and
in still smaller doses food. Alcohol again
is violent poison, il given pure in Ger.
tain quantity; and so is ether. Yet dilut-
ed: and given 10 smaller quantities, these
pcisous stimulate the secretions aud accei.
erste organic processes. AlcoEol, as we
all know is a curious poison, for It sup.
plies the place offood and aids dizes,ion-
not o mention its other qualities; aed tits
only hy an abuse Of language that alcohol
in itself is poison, when experience and
experiment Prove that the poisonous effects
result only from large doses. Even the
most nutritious of ailments will become
poisonous in excess. Ever eating is as in.
furious Ms prussie acid We are thus led
to suspect that poison is a word represent
ing a qusntitive idea. The efferts ofpois-
inous substances being, in fact. physiolog
ical disturbances, il is only when the dis
tuIhanoe is carried beyonda certain limit,
and thus .interieres with the equilibrium
and operation Of the various organic pro-
cesses. that tho poisonous qualities of The
substances are manifested. Allow with
the hand aiiehting on Inc head produces
but asligtt disturbances-a How with a
hamn er kills. New born babies are often
whipped into life, but an exag leration of
this midwifery profess would te death.-
Il is always question Of degree, compli.
Gated W physiological consequences. Thus
| alcohol, diluted. stimulates the spcretions;
but unIiluted. It attacks the tissue itself
and alters its properties, abstracting all its
water and hardening it, Nicotine. again,
is very violent poison i one OF tn most
violent kn ,wn. Let Tut a few drops Of
it fall upon the eye Of an animal and death
instantaneously ensues. This nicotine is
an extract OF tobacco:
o you smoke, reader? II you smoke,
you consume with each cigar certain
potion Of this violent poison, and il your
lcigars ollow each other in qui, k success.
ion, the end Of the day will ind you the
consumer ofa pretty amount of poison
and yet you ara not poisoned? How is
ihis9 Itwpu d be intxplicsbls if the or
dinary idea OF poisons, as substances es.
senlially poisonous. were not replaced by
the idea of their quantitive aclion. DR..
Carpenter. indeed. argues that whatever is
true Of alarge dt Sc. must be true, in mi.
nor, degree, Of small Jose; and accord
ling TO such deception, the smoker at the
end Of the day ought TO be in the same con
diuon as a man having taken an equivalent
amount of nicotine in one dose The facts
directly contradict such a notion. The
smoker has taken his poison in small doses;
and these small doses have spread over a
number Of hours. Now, experience in
poisoning, proves that the effect OF small
doses is totally different in, kind from the
effect Of large doses; and owing TO the g.
Eliminating process necessarily going on,
that quantity is innocuous, when spread
over certain period which wouli be ia.
tai if administered at once. We have said
that the effect is differeul in kind, and nj
cotine shall furnish US with an example,
The fumes Of tobacco contain nicotine, and
this nicotine acting en- the salivary glands,
determines an increased secrelion-as all
smokers know. But by law Of our e.
economy, all the secretions Of the intestinal
canal are in intimate sympathy, SO that 10
stimulate one ia 10 stimulate another; aud
the secretion OF the salivary glands being
s;imuaei to increased activity, the gastric
secretion instantly smpathises with it, and
pours into the stomach. Thus the alton
of nicotine on the saliyary glands increase
the flow Of gastric juine; aud cigar after
dinner assists digestion ly It's nicotine,
which said nicotine We know to be vio.
lent poison ignani's Messenger.