Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-02-05
Arsenic.

r. steel-gray color, crystalline in IL
Q structure, and exceedingly brittle an,
n frinblc. When exposed to the air !
a assumes dull backish hue, and whcl
Q rubbed between the fingers cmits
r garlicky odcr-a property belonhiD
r TO no other metal, with the exception
; perhaps, of zinc, and then rather at
n tributed to the presence Of arsenic il
I, the Zinc than to any popularity of th'
, latter metal Arsenic is nearly al
wars found combined with other min
erals; though native arsenic has beel
found IN mines in EuroIe,t n mi minute "as
/, Aaarica; OEfla6c oas,h Of gravu
wp M and Walcbner discovered II ir
.''rs,;n soils and mineral waters Mr.
S,a;n fou,d it in the ashes of various
,asn,r il has been noticed, also, in
p"Sds kinds of mineral coal and il
ssaid to occur naturally in the hu.
man body. The only use to which
tho metallic arsenic is applied in tho
arts is in the manufacture Of the leaden
shot of the various sizes, when its
presence 10 small quantity in the lead
renders tho latter much more brittle
than il ordinary is. Arsenic is widely
diiluscd, but seldom found quite pure,
usually containing antimony, from,
silver or gold When it unites with
cobalt and sulphur it forms com.
pound called cobaltine, and with CO.
bait, alone, it is known as smaltine
these two combinations are used for
the preparation of blue colors on por-
ceain and stoneware. Arsenious acid
composed OF arsenic and oxygen, is
the arscnical compound most familiar.
ly known. 1t is prepared chiefly IN
Bohemia and Saxony during the smell
ting OF cobalt ores. As it occurs in
commerce it is in masses of milk
white color, but as found in tho shops
Tor medical use, it is often in the form
of white powder as fine as -four
Like everything else it is often adul-
tcrated. 1t possesses but little taste,
has no odor, aud is soluble in water.
As n medicine, it is said 10 be altera.
tive and febrifugc; when applied ex-
ternally, violently irritant. The dose
internally must be exceedingly small,
if taken with impunity, and, then the
propriety OF its administration in any
disease would seem exceedingly doubt.
full Its effect upon the system causes
the face and eyeli1s to swell, with .
feeling of stiffness and itching Of the
skin, tenderness of the mouth, loss of
appetite, uneasiness, and sickness of
the stomach. Sometimes salvation
is produced, and occasionally the hair
and nails fall off. 1t is highly proba-
BILE. that the accounts received of the
habitual use Of arecnic by the peasants
of Syria are wholly untrue. Many
persons have resorted 10 its use to
bcutify the complexion, but nearly al
ways with the most dangerous results.
1t 10 often used by design as a poison,
but, happily, the methods Of detecting
il in animal substances are so uner.
ring and trustworthy that it is hardly
within the range of possibility that
an individual could come to bis death
from this poison without its being
easily detected by chemist.
Arsenic is the chief ingredient in
nearly all the empirical remedies for
the cure of cancer by external appli-
cation In cases of an overdose OF
this most virulent poison, powerful
emetic should be taken; demulcent
drinks, af,crward, freely given, such
as milk, white Of eggs aud water or
-four and water, all OF which serve To
envelope the poison, until tho real
antidote (by ydratcd sesquioxide OF iron
can be procured When arsenious
acid is sold in quantities under ten
pounds in weight, il is required by
law to be colored with 1872 of its
weight Of indigo, or Lie of its weight
of SCOT; the object of this admixture
being TO render any liquid to which
the arsenic might be added, with
murderous intent, Of black or blush
black hue, and thus indicate the pres.
ence Of something unusual. When
arsenic is placed is any vessel and
heated, il volatlizes and condenses in
crystals on any cool vessel placed
above, and in this way il can be dis
tinguished from -four, chalk, stucco,
baking soda, tooth powder, and other
white substances which arc. non.vola-
tile, and would either remain in the
vessel as white residue or leave a
coal behind.
A compound of arscnious acid and
the oxide of copper known as Schccl's :
Green, is pigment largely used by
printers, and il is this substance that
manufacturers of pangings use 10 pro-
duce grcon decorations on wall paper.
1t should be everywhere known that
green decorations on wall paper arc
,, produced from arscnite of copper,
which poison is easily detached from
tho walls by the slightest friction, and
diiiased through the room, when it is
inhaled into the lungs, proving, ii not
fatal, highly detrimental to health.
In 1862 case Of fatal poisoning
under the conditions in question oc-
CURED in London, tho victim being n
child The cause OF death was made
the subject of an investigation before
coroncrs jury. In the course OF the
evidence IL transpirod that the deccas-
cd was the last Of four children who
had died within aperiod offour months,
under the exposure 10 the poison con
tainei in the paper-tangings of the
rooms they habilually occupied.
Three grains Of arsenic were found in
n square foot of the paper.
But greens are not the only colors
which contain arsenic, nor Wallpaper
the only fabric colored with arscnical
compounds. 1t is said that tho French
use a number of pigments, containing
arsetic, in calico-prinling, and that
they are equally suitable and doubt
less used in the color Of paper-bang-
ings. The presence of arsenic has
been demonstrated in red as well as
grcen-colored wall paper.-Nep Jersey
Mechanic.