Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-31
Something About Poisons.

"POiSOn: A substance which, when taken
piled to the skin or flesh, proves fatal or dele
ferrous; anything infectious or Malignant "
Our scissors make the first Clip out of Webster
for q definition OF the greatest evil as we'll as
the greatest good known in the medical world.
For after the fashion OF the Old saying, at
takes thief to catch thief" in public sys-
TENS, so in the individual system II one poison
has stolen away into the network of veins by
fair means or foul there is small hope of re-
covering ones own, save another poison be sent
All medicines seem to be more or less pois-
onous. But owing to the large doses those
classed 'less' require to produce death or
people regarded:as harmless, for arsenic, strych-
nine, opium, chloroform, mercury and per-
maps few other prominent remedies cOvor all,
daily paper Of child suddenly attacked by Sc
we're vomiting, which the usual remedies failing
10 check, ends In exhaustion and death: and the
cause is laid anywhere but at the confectiOner's
counter where the boy bought his candies and
cakes favored with bitter almond.
THE bitter almond Is powerful poison" A
made dead pussy of living one In just five
minutes, by experiment. Some delicate Or
CARNATIONS, especially among children, can
bear but little Of this essence, the smallest
quantity producing an eruption like nettle rash,
If nothing worse, and yet macarOons are eaten
and given to children to eat with IMMUNITY,
while confectioners are often nowadays using
their favorfng. There Is a "family connection
between the bitter and sweet almond, how
close Is not easily defined, but sufficient to
snow tnat on some persons the sweet nut on
our tables Ii eaten, produces an effect Simil lr
to that caused by the bitter almond
4" Fish poison is one of the most singular in
al! the range of toxicology.' Certain kinds Of
fish in hot countries are looked upon as always
poisonous. Other kinds are only poisonous to
peculiar constitutions, at certain times, and
perhaps depending somewhat on the climate
The richer sort OF vertebrate fish, though &C.
tually eaten with perfect safety by mankind in
general, are nevertheless poisonous, either at
an times or only occasionally to peculiar in
0lVldualS. This fact is self evident TO many Of
us who have experienced nausea after eating
Whltef1sh, salmon, LOBSTER &C., at one time or
anOther, and instinct Is wise when 1T needs the
hint and declines the poison In the future.
Lead poisoning we are most familiar with as
some members Of our households are more sus-
cepttble than others to the Injurious effect of
y, water Yer run through lead pipes; But the poison
ally classed under the broad, good natured!y
embracing term ''malaria" Those who work
IN Lead mines or In any way with lead and abb
sOrD us flne dust Into their systems, except by
me greatest care, sooner Or later have what 10
general phraseology is called printers or paint
ers. palsy; The habit Of children to bite and
r Wet tnelr lead pencils is often followed by Sc
nous results, which are more likely to be traced
10 close school room and hard study than to
the lead pencils, slate pencils and chalk they
have munched on at short Intervals five dave
out Of every seven.
Another OF the every day poisons is found in
the syrup which is a leading feature of the
American breakfast table. s'The use of chloride
OF tin In glucose syrups has been proved by nu-
merOus analyses" Think Of that, oh, We who
indulge In golden drip" and "maple syrup on
colo, WiLtry mornings on your hot cakes. Be-
ware OF any syrup that leaves metallic taste
IN Ile mouth, less by means Of the sweet liquid
your stomach gets tin lining and you, Won
der1ng why on earth you have developed dys-
pepsla, conclude that it must be the hot cakes
disagree With you. And If the said cakes are
mace OF the raising, easy stuff called baking
powder, very likely the disagreement can, in
part, be laid to them, for analysis has also
SHOWN that baking powder contains a large pro-
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