Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-04-03
opium AND KI.NINE."

She wasn't after hair dye or cosmetics, but
when the druggist had finished putting up
a prescription to cure long.faced boy Of
hacking cough, she turned from the stove
and asked:
"Do you keep drugs and medicines and
pizuns and so onS"
"Oh yes, we keep all such things"
"And kinine?"
eyes, we have quinine.''
"Well, called in to see about gittin' some
pizun and some ki.nine, but I dunno So
many folks have been slaughtered by drug.
gists' mistakes that I'm canmost lafraid to
even ask for camfur gum tho I suppose 1
can smell camfur gum farther off than any
other woman in Michigan. Have you ever
killed anybody by putting up morphine for
baking powder?'
"Never."
"Been in the business long?'
"Only twenty.one years"
"Well, you orter know gum 'Rabic from
sweet oil by this time, but some men are aw-
full keerless I've had a brother pizuned by
wrong medicine, and I'm little shaky.
Where is your ki.niue p
"This is it," he replied, as he took down
the jar.
She wet her finger, pushed it into the jar
and then rubbed it on her tongue.
"Tastes like it, but I dunno. Sure that
amt morphine?"
"Yes, very sure"
"Sure your clerk washed the jar out clean
afore he put the ki-nine in p
"Oh washed it myself"
eff this shouldn't be kinine, you'd have the
law put to you the worst kind. We've got
money in the bank, and we'd never settle for
no ten thousand dollarsp
II know it to be quinine."
"Well, then, gimme fifteen cents worth,
and want down weight, too If I'm treated
we'll I'm great hand to trade at one place;
but the r1innit see any stinginess or cheat
in, yoke Of oxen couldn't pull me into that
store again"
He weighed out the drug. labeled it with
great care, and then she said:
4 "Now I want ten cents worth of pizun to
kill rats" 81. ...,:.s ,,s.s .rs.-. .,.s...,ssf
"What kind?"
"Why the pizun kind, of fcourse. Pizun is
is pizun the world over. Don't seem as you
were used to handling 'em."
"Do you want arsenic 7"
certainly ; but ! want you to be powerful
keerfnl. I'm woman of SO, and I've nuss'd
the sick ever since I was girl, but I never
handle pizun without a chill creepin' up my
back, Where is itg' o.
He handed down the jar, and she smelt the
stopper, shook her head, turned the jar
around and whispered: s.;t,
"That looks powerful sight like cream-a-
tarterw
"Oh no-that's arsenic and no mistake"
"Well, I've got to take the chances, !
'spose. I'll take ten cents worth-down
weight Any one who will be stingy sellin'
pizun, will be stingy in other things, and ! do
hate stingy person. Ny first husband was
powerful ,stingy, and he was struck by light
When the poison had been weighed and
labeled, she carefully took up the package
and said: .i .>isI7;',.. -,
.t"Now, then, write on this that it is to, be
kept in the old china teapot, on the third
shelf Of the pantry, and that it's for rats.
Then write on this ki.nine that it is to be
kept in the old cofee!pot in the cupboard,
and that it's for chills." y--.'
The druggist followed orders, and the old
lady put the "pizin" in her pocket and the
"ki-nine" in her reticule, and went out say
ing; IS.
"It may be all right, but I dunno. Ifmy
old man is took off instead of the rats, I'll be-
gin lawsuit next day after the funeral!'