Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1861-02-20
minnesota FO1.eUe1..
|EXPERlENCE OF AN ARSENIC
EATER. 53 s,s *ast 5s+

GA1 VI AN b AIM EN- ~
EATER. $50. III ss i
The director of the arsenic works
near Salzburgh, and al arsenic eater,
gives the following sketch of Iii. own
experience: @
eat seventeen years Of age. while
studying assaying, / had much to Go
with arsenic, and was advised by my
teacher, NJ. Consch, professor Of
chemistry and inineralogy at Eislcben,
10 begin the habit Of arsenic eating.
/ quote the precise words he addressed
to me- II You wish to continue the
study Of assaying, and become here
after superintendent Of a factory,
more especially Of an arsenic factory,
in which position there are 50 few, and
which is abandoned by so many, and
to preserve yourself from the fumes
which injure the lungs of most it not
all, and to continue to enjoy your GUS
tomary health and spirits, and to
attain = tolcrably advanced age, !
advise you. nav, II is absolutely neces-
sary, that besides strictly abstaining
from. spirituous liquors, you should
learn to take arsenic; but do not forget
when you have attained the ago Of fifty
years. gradually 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 a trial of my prcceptor's
prescription till now, the torty-tif,h
year of my age. The dose with which
| began, and that which l take at
present, 1inclosc; they arc taken once
a day, early, in any warm liquid, such
as coffee, but not in any spirituous
liquors. The doses sent were No, l,
original dose. three grains; No. 2,
present dose, twcaty thrco grains Of
pure white arsenic in coarse powder. !
About an hour after taking the first
dose q took the same quantity for
three mon,hs,) there followed slight
perspiration, with gripping pains in the
bowels, and, after three or four hours, a
loose evacuation, this was followed by
a keen appetite, and q feeling of excite
mcnt. With the exception ofthe pain,
the same symptoms follow every in
crease of the dose. I subjoin, as a
caution, that it is not advisable to begin
arsenic eating before lineage oftwelve
or after thirty years. Evil conscqucn.
ces only cnsue from long continued
interruption. Circumstances often
oblige me to leave it off for two or
days, and I feel only slight languor
and loss Of appetite, and resume
taking the arsenic in smaller doses.
On two occasions, at the earnest
solicitations ofmy friends, attempted
entirely to leave off arsenic. The
second time was i'll January 1865. ]
was induced to try it q second time,
from abelief that my first illness might
have arisen from some other cause.
Or the third day of the second week
after leaving off tic dose, i was attack'd
with faintness, depression of splits,
mental weakness, and total loss. of
the little appetite I still had; sleep also
entirely deserted me. On the tourt',
day had violent palpitation Of the
heart, accompanied by profusc pcrspi.
ration. t1a eH, q
inflammation Of the lungs followed,
and ] was laid up for nine weeks, Tie
same rs on the first occasion of leaving
off the arsenic. Had / not been blcd,
l should most likely, have died OF
|apoplcky. AS a restorative; I resumed
the arsenic eating in smaller doses, and
with firm determination never to be
|scduced into leaving it off, except as
originally directed by my preccptor.
The result on both occasions were
precisely the same, and death would
certainly have ensucd, had l not re-
sumed arcsenic eating. ID
= 70