The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-13
Artificial Flowers. Analysed.

At the meeting of the Board of Health
Yesterday, DR.. Elwyn Waller, the chem
ist to the board, presented long report
of his investigation into the case OF Ma
ry Ann Dougherty, the young girl whose
death was reported to have been caused
by the inhalation or absorption into the
system of poison by handling artificial
flowers colored with arseniate of copper.
DR.. Waller found that artificial leaves
are covered with film Of wax, to pre-
vent the colors from rubbing and to i'm.
part to the muslin of which they are
composed the necessary stiffness. Sam
Piles of seven different styles of leaves
were examined, with the following re-
suit: Two of them contained conside-
rable amounts of arsenic, no doubt in
the form of Paris green (arseniate OF
copper; two others contained very
slight traces of arsenic, and the other
three were entirely free from it. AS the
leaves are covered with wax or parafine
no danger is to be apprehended for those
working with the finished leaves. Dried
grasses are colored and then tied in
small punches called 'piquets," and the
operatives then arrange them with arti-
fetal leaves and flowers, in sprays,
wreaths, &C., which are offered to custo..
ners. The grass used in the piquets is
known to botanists as the BrizG media.
In itself it has no poisonous properties.
The coloring is effected by dipping the
grass in solutions of picric acid (which
is Yellow and of analine blue, the COM
bination of the yellow and blue giving
the grass greenish tint. An e1amina-
tion of these coloring matters gave mega
tive results for arsenic. The other plant
used for the piquet is botanically known
as the iStatice. 1t is recorded that many
of the members of this family of grasses
have very irritating properties, and are
used by beggars in the south of Europe
to produce ulcers on the skin, in order
thereby to excite the pity of the charita-
BILE. The piquets of this plant were
found to be covered with preparation
containing much carbonate of lead, ap-
piled apparently in a semi-pasty condi-
ton. The piquets of both kinds when.
shaken slightly gave off dust consist
ing of or impregnated with the coloring
matter used in their preparation. No
arsenic was detected in them. The
question of how far work with these ar.
ticles is dangerous to the operatives
turns chiefly on the dangers to be appre-
hended from the use of picric acid. As
the hands take up enough of the color
ing matter to carry it to the brows, if the
operatives ate their MONDAY meals with
unwashed hands, they might be exposed
to the danger of poisoning as we'll as the
risk of absorbing it through the skin and
lungs. Picric acid is used as medicine
in many diseases, notably in intermittent
fever, as a substitute for quinine. In
large doses it is poisonous, and when
death is caused by it it results from a
stoppage of the action of the heart.
As regards the fatal dose for human
being, no case of fatal poisoning by
picric acid is yet on record. In conclu-
sion, DR.. Waller recites the facts eonnec-
ted with the death of. Miss Dougherty,
and the result of the post naortem exami-
nation, and says that he must leave it
for one skilled in the practice of medi-
cine to decide how far the occupation of
the deceased contributed to her DEATH
NJ v Trnes