The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-05-22
Something About PoIsons.
IMateria- Medica Journal

"Poison: A substance which, when
taken into the stomach, mixed with the
blood or applied to the skin or flesh,
proves fatal or deleterious; anything
infectious or malignant" Our scissors
make the first clip out of Webster for
definition of the greatest evil as well as
the greatest good known in the medical
world. For after the fashion of the old
saying, at takes a thief to catch
thief" in public systems, so in the indi-
vidual system, if 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 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
harmless, for arsenic, strychnine, opium,
chloroform, mercury aud perhaps few
other prominent remedies cover all, to
them, dangerous poisons. Yet we read
in daily paper of child suddenly
attacked by severe vomiting, which the
usual remedies failing to 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 a powerful
poison" A single drop Of the essential
oil on cats tongue made dead pussy
of living one in Just five minutes, by
experiment. Some delicate organiza-
tions, especially among children, can
bear but little of this essence, the small
est quantity producing an eruption like
nettle rash, if nothing worse, and yet
macaroons are eaten and given to chill
dren to eat with impunity, while con-
fectioners are often nowadays using, not
the bitter almond, but the essential oil
for their favoring. There is " family
connection" between the bitter and sweet
almond, how close is not easily defined,
but sufficient to show that on some per
sons the sweet nut on our tables, if
eaten, produces an affect similar to 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
constitutions. at certain times, and per.
haps depending somewhat on the
climate. The richer sort of vertebrate
fish, though actually eaten with safety
by mankind in general, are nevertheless
! poisonous, either at all times or only
occasionally to peculiar individuals
| This fact is self-evident to many of vi
who have experienced nausea after eat
ling white6sh, salmon, lobster, ETC., a
one time or another, and Instincts wis
when it needs the hint and declines tie
poison in the future.
Lead poisoning we are more familiar
with, as some members of our house
holds are more susceptible than other
to the injurious effect of water ru1
through lead pipes. But the poison il
this case, acting slowly and subtly j
usually classed under the broad. good
naturedly embracing term, malaria.
Those who work in lead mines or in an,
way with lead and absorb its fine dus
into their systems, except by the great
est care, sooner or later have what il
general phraseology is called printers
or painters palsy. The habit of childrel
to bite and wet their lead pencils is oftel
followed by serious results, which ar
more likely to be traced to close school
room and hard study than to the lea
pencils, slate pencils and chalk the,
have munched on at short intervals fiv
days out of every seven.
Another of the everyday poisoDs
found in the syrup which is leadin
feature of the American breakfast-table
"The use of chloride of tin in glucos
syrups has been proved by numerou
analysis. Think of that, oh, ye VIII
indulge in "golden drip" and "map'
syrup" ON cold, wintry mornings on you
hot cakes. Beware of any syrup tbs
leaves metallic taste in the mouth, lie;
by means of sweet liquid your stomac
gets a tin lining and you, wondering VIII
on earth you have developed dyspepsi,
conclude that it must be the hot CAKE
disagree with you. And if the said cakt
are made of the raising-easy stu
called baking powder, very likely th
disagreement can, in part, be laid
them, for analysis has also shown ths
baking powder contains large propo
ton of desiccated alum.