Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-07
The Advantage Of Tal.ins poIson-sinsu

The Advantage of Taking P0ison--SinguInl
Experience Of an Austrian Afsenic-eater
The director of the arsenic works nea
Salzburg, in Austria, and an arsenic-eater
gives the following sketch of his own expe
rience; tnr tl l.sHraA .. .0.
At seventeen years of age, while studvins
assaying, had much to do with arsenic ane
was advised by my teacher, NJ Bonsch, Pro.
tessor of Chemistry and Mineralogy at Elsie
ben, to begin the habit of arsenic-eating.
quote the precise words he addressed to me:
IF you wish TO continue the study of as
saying, and become hereafter superintendent
OF factory, more especially Of an arseni,
factory, 10 which position there are so few
and which is abandoned by so many, and tc
preserve yourself from the fumes which in.
jure the lungs of most, If not all, and to con-
tinue to enjoy your customary health and
spirits, and to attain tolerably advanced
age, advise you, nay, it is absolutely
necessary, that besides strictly abstaininV
IRON spirituous liquors, you should learn to
take arsenic; but do not forget when YOU
have attained the age Of fifty years gradu-
ally TO decrease your dose, till from the
dose TO which you have become accustomed,
you return to that with which you began, Or
even less"
have made trial of my preceptor's pre-
scription till now, the forty-ffth year Of my
age. The dose with which began, and that
which take at present, inclose; they are
taken once u day, early, in any warm LIQUID,
such as coffee, but not in any spirituous
liquors. The doses sent were No. /, original
dose, three grains; No. 2, present dose.
tweuty-three grains of pure white arsenic in
coarse powder. About an hour after taking
the first dose II took the same quantity daily
for three months), there followed slight per-
spiration, with gripping pains in the bowels
and, after three or four hours, loose evac-
uatlon; this was followed by keen appetite,
and a feeling of excitement. With the ex
ceptlon OF the pain, the same symptoms follow
every increase of the dose. l subioiu as
caution, that it is not advisable to begin
arsenic eating before the age of twelve or
after thirty years. Evil consequences only
ensue from long continued interruption
circumstances often oblige me to leave it of
for two or three days. and feel only slight
lauguor and loss Of appetite, and resume
taking the arsenic in somewhat smaller
doses
On two occasions at the earnest solicta-
tions of my friends, attempted entirely to
leave off arsenic. The second time was in
January, 1855. l was induced to try it a
second time from belief that my first ILL
ness might have arisen from some other
cause. On the third day of the second week
ai.II leaving ou tne uose, was attacked
with faintness, depression of spirits, mental
weakness, and total loss of the little appe=
tite still had; sleep, also, entirely deserted
me. On the fourth day, had violent palpi-
tation Of the heart, accompanied by profuse
perspiration.
lnfiam nation of the lungs followed, and
was laid up for nine weeks, the same as on
the first occasion of leaving off the arsenic.
Had not been bled, should most likely
have died of apoplexy. As restorative, /
resumed the arsenic-eating in smaller doses,
and with firm determination never to be
sednced into leaving it off, except as origi-
nally directed by my preceptor. The results
on Doth occasions were precisely the same
ana death would certainly have ensued, had |
not resumed arsenic. eating.