The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-01-23
DANGERS OF CHEMISTRY.


The Terrible Possibilities Of mbin.tions
.sH.,u,... Ch.,,,.,, v,~,..,,.n,.-
p.-., o., ~.,, -, u,-., re.
49, c--,--D
''n INC L'1o01 oo'1' :, .--
'nos' unfortunate acciuen' WHICH na'
occurred at Prague recalls, In many OF Its
details and circumstances, the quaint ira
aitions that were once prevalent in regard
70 ,be r,od;.r,l .I.h.n,;s,s p,o, r;sch.
~,
ef, OF the Prague gymnasium young
man only 3 years Of age, and Of the high
est eminence in his professionalism of
chemistry-has come to an untimely end
under the most melancholy circumstances.
No one needs 10 be told that cyanide Of
potassium, drug largely used in photo
graphy, is poison Of most deadly char
acter. Its active ingredient Is prussic
acid. Prussic acid In its pure, or, as
chemists would term it, ''anhydrous"
form, is substance too dangerous to be
kept or even manufactured. If glass
capsule containing wine-glass full OF
pure prussic acid were broken in the pit
of theatre. those among the audience
who were nearest the doors might escape,
but the great majority would be killed on
the spot. The prussic acid ordinarily sold.
and occasionally used for killing dogs and
cats. contains about drop of the pure
acid to quarter Of pint of water. Pure
prussic acid no chemist dare keep. de
might as well compress ton of dynamite
INTO single cartridge, supposing such
package to be possible, and then leave the
deadly package lying loose on the table.
Cyanide Of potassium is not, like prus-
SIC acid, volatile. 1t is a white powder.
rather resembling -four or chalk. 1t Is,
however, SO poisonous that mere pinch
of it, springfield over an open wound OF
sore, will cause almost instantaneous
death. 1t was, 1t seems, the amtition OF
Prof. Fischer to discover some means oil
rendering cyanide OF potassium harmless.
We can do this with gunpowder. IL,
however, We mix the powder with four or
five times its bulk OF sawdust, torch may
be applied to 1t with IMMUNITY, The me-
chanical resistance OF the sawdust makes
1t impossible for the explosion TO al once
spread to the whole mass, ana the oonse-
9uence Is that sort OF splntter ensues
ike that OF squlp or oiue nSht. rroi'
FISCHER idea was that, II CYANIDE OF potas-
SUM were tnoroughIy mlxed win SAL ammo
MAC, IL w0uid De athaIniiess as guhpo~a
mixed with sawdnst, out womb SUN re-
main equally avaiiaoie ior an those pur.
poses OF photography Tor whleh IL II al
present absolutely Indispensable. ~.
In the course OF his researches MI. Is
cher MADE mixture, OF wnien IN MS o"n
mlnd ne ieit assured tnat ~ woqiu niee'
the conditions OF ms prooiem. nc COM
pounded the cyanide with some o'her suo'
stance. and then, turning to his iaoora-
tory assistant SAID:
Science mas now so iar advanced DIS to
be even able to render harmless so danger
Gus an agent as cyanide OF potassium.
With these words he tasted the MIXTURE
and was almost IN an instant selzed VIII
the most violent and excruciatlng agonles;
he at once implored ms assistant % SEND
Tor medical AID. Cyanogen, however,
whether as prussic acid OF cyanide OF
potassium, Kills almost lnstantaneouIly'
In few moments froi- fiseher was De
yond help. we are told that there Is no
possible reason 10 suppose that uehoer,
ate suicide had been planned ana carried
out under the mask OF experiment. ph
the contrary, there Is every reason 10 be
iieve that tne professor hau me. the la,t
when beieii only TOO many Oh the cary
chemists, ana their predecessors TIE al
chemists. ~
we know now what VIII happen 70 an.
experlmenti,ist II ne dips oio,ung Papel
IN nitric acid, Wishes IL, uries NJ M, anu tnel
,nca nn ~. u ra h u heisv"dmsor ~.
p ened " .;I ni'i, n;,h An h;no"to ~ srs,
f T peti,nIu VIII 81 H.; q m.tte
" sa,o,;so uanorI That ha w,s snnaos,
~ aana,,., 49, ,ha r,i,;na,e. an,
u, Ill ~ III. ful,;na.es Of tb,
h;o;or p,a."Is w rp waii Lmnwn How !;
nrsn,sa,, ea'nn ahor, ,ba, he d;sanneare,
1877 Ln al ali ra,na;n natter of cpn;ec.
u.s. Tharo n,n,s ono day nnsf n si;gi
u ~, nj 90, - e same on,
49, %,'u a s ~, ia ,hsn hnrs, ;,'La
nlla.ea a pap va" % sN ~ a $500 -,