Sharp County record., 1879-10-16
ARSENIC. C.EATING.
A Chemist Publicly Reveals Some Startling
Facts An Abominable and Dangerous
Female Practice.
rom the Cleveland (O.) Hcrald.l

10 GU Sct llldJ ldVN Ndlu " l'i'lil
inent chemist of this city to Il Herdm
reporter. AS sure as that sun will
rise tomorrow, so surely will that wom-
an due prematurely in few years by
slow but certain Self-destructiOn."
The scene was on Superior Street,
and the lady in question was standing
on the sidewalk waiting for one OF the
cars. The afternoon sun ShOne full
upon her, her dress and tout ensemble
marked her as wealthy and refined, and
her face was beautiful, but about the
large, gray eyes there was a weary,
troubled expression, and the marble
face was almost death-like in its pallor.
The skin was translucent, showing the
delicate blue veins beneath. 1t was
perfectly pure and clean but it was un-
natural. Accepting an invitation to
step into the chemists laboratory, the
reporter was soon seated in spacious
room, surrounded by thousands Of
bottles of all shapes and sizes, and
the conversation turned again upon the
woman seen up in the street.
THAT lady" said the chemist, Sei-
ously, lis an arSenic-eatcr. Few have
any idea how the deadly, damnable
habit is spreading. Even in this city it
numbers its devotees by hundreds |
had almost said by thousands, and the
husband who prides himself on his wite's
beautiful complexion, the father who
presses the pale forehead of his daugh-
ter, and the lover who is proud OF,
while he is anxious about, the transpar-
ent and clear complexion Of his sweet
heart, never dreams for moment that
it is an unnatural effect produced by the
use Of poison which will sooner or la
ter destroy life. | am not telling this
for sensation; it is terrible truth, and
| could sit down and write off now Il
list of 500 names of ladies who are in the
habit Of using this drug regularly. could
startle this city by telling it that the
women of many of its best families are
committing a slow suicide. A prac-
ticed chemist can tell at glance per-
son addicted to this vice, and it has been
my custom for some years past to note
down any person | meet who has the
mark of the arsenic habit upon them.
If were to show you that list you would
be astonished.n
elbow is the drug usually takenm
Sometimes pure, in minute doses,
but generally in the form Of Fowler's So
luton. For the first few months, maybe
in some cases for a year, little or no ef-
fects ensue, but after that time the beau
tiful pallor which you have seen is pro-
duced. After few years the Wretched
woman begins to feel her health giving
way, and decides to discontinue its use.
Alas, it is too late! The face changes
to livid red, every one notices it, and
in despair she returns to the same
course, and receives the congratulations
of her friends on her restored health.
After some years, however, the face
gradually changes from the clear color
of alabaster to dull, ghastly complex
ion like chalk; the whole system, satu-
rated with this mineral, gives way, and
usually death mercifully ends a life Of
paral ysis Such has been the history of
many of our wives and daughters, and,
unless the strong arm of the law steps
in and puts stringent rules on the sale
of this poison, it will be the history Of
thousands of the present and rising gen.
Grafton"
care there any other drugs used for
the complexion which have the same
effects as arsenic?n
"None which have such awful conSe-
qr9nces in their train, because there are
no other poisons which are habitually
taken internally to beautify the com
pleXion, but great damage is being done
by the use of cosmetics. Why, sir, |
have analyzed over sixty of the leading
cosmetic preparations, and did not find
one which did not contain either sugar
of lead, oxide of zinc, or some other
preparations of lead. The amount va
rieS from two to ten grains per ounce,
but in all it is the leading ingredient
"What would be the effect of the con-
tinued use of cosmetics?n
"Brieily this: Sooner or later, in pro-
portion to the quantity used and the
frequency of its application, the pores
of the face become packed with the in
soluble material of the base, causing
lead-poisoning of the minute nerves and
blood-vessels, and paralysis of the skin,
extending even in some instances to the
neck and arms. The paralysis Of the
skin is not dangerous of itself, but it is
liable to bring on diseases of the throat,
and respiratory organs, and it always
has the effect Of making the skin yellow
and leather-lille. But if the conse-
quences which follow the use of cosmet-
les are not SO deadly as those which fol-
low the internal use Of arsenic, they are
far more widely spread. | assure you
as a solemn fact that, to the best of my
belief, and | have given the subject eX-
tended and close attention, 80 per cent.
of the women between the ages of %
and 80 use cosmetics in a greater
or less degree, and probably 40 per