The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-06-05
ABOUTPOIsONs.


Ssme Inpsrtant yae0 WAieh Ought - b
0sssrany KnswA
1rum Tie Joanna, a Nahexh MsdscA-
Poison: A substance which, when Ia
ken into the stomach, mixed with the
blood, or applied to the skin or flesh,
proves fatal or deleterious; anything infec-
tious or malignant Our scissors make
the first clip out of Webster for defni-
ton Of the greatest evil as well as the
greatest good known in the medical world.
For after the fashion Of the old saying, ut
takes thief to catch thief, in public
systems. so in the individual system if one
poison has stolen away into the network
Of veins by fair means or foul, there Is
small hope Of recovering ones own. save
another poison to be sent after It.
All medicines seem to be more or less
poisonous; but owing to the large doses
those classed ''less" require TO produce
death or even deleterious effects, they are
by the mass Of people regarded as harm
less, for arsenic, strychnine, opium. chlor-
oform, mercury, and perhaps few other
prominent remedies, cover all, to them,
dangerous poisons. Yet We read in a
daily paper Of child suddenly attacked
by severe vomiting, which the usual rem
eaies, failing to check, ends in exhaustion
and death; and the causels laid anywhere
but at the confectioner's counter where
the boy bought his candies and cakes ia
vored with bitter almonds.
The bitter almond is a powerful pois-
on" A single drop of the essential oil on
cats tongue made dead pussy of liy-
ing one in Just FIVE minutes by expert
ment. Some delicate organizations, es-
pecially among children, can bear but lit
tie of this essence, the smallest quantity
producing an eruption like nettle rash, il
nothing worse, and vet macaroons are eat
en- and given to children to eat with i'm
punity, while confectioners are often, now
adays, using. not the bitter almond, but
the essential oil for their favoring. There
is family connection" between the BIT
ter and sweet almond, how close is not ca
silly defined, but sufficient to show that on
some persons the sweet nut on our tables
if eaten produces an effect similar 10 that
caused by the bitter almond.
Fish poison is one Of the most singular
in all the range of toxicology." Certain
kinds of fish in hot countries are looked
upon as always poisonous. Other kinds
are only poisonous to peculiar constitu-
tions, and perhaps depending somewhat
on the climate. The richer sort of verte.
brate fish, though actually eaten with per.
feet safety, by mankind in general, ART
nevertheless poisonous, either at all times
or occasionally TO peculiar individuals
This fact is self-evident to many of us who
have experienced nausea after eating
white fish, salmon, lobster, etc. at one
time or another, and instinct is wise wher
it heeds the hint and declines the poison
in future.
| Lead poisoning we are more familiar
with, as some members Of our household
are more susceptible than others to the in
furious effect of water run through lead
pipes. But the poison in this case, acting
slowly and subtly. is usually classed un.
der the broad, good-naturedly embracing
term malaria" Those who work in lead
mines or in any way with lead and absort
its fine dust into their systems, except by
the greatest care, sooner or later have
what in general phraseology Is called
printers or painters palsy. The habit:
Of children to bite and wet their lead pen
ellis is often followed by serious results,
which are more likely to be traced to a
close school-room and hard study, than IL
the lead pencils, slate pencils and chalk
they have munched on at short intervals
| FIVE days out of every seven.
| Another Of the every day poisons is
found in the syrup which is a leading fea-
ture of the American breakfast-table
| ''The use of chloride of tin in glucose syr-
ups has been proved by numerous anaiy'
ses." Think Of that. oh We, who indulge
| in golden drip" and ..maple syrup' on