, 1879-01-22
DANGERS OF CHEMISTRY.

Terr1bls Possibilities Of Combinations OF
Harmless Chemical Inyrcttlents-The Pow.
or Over Nature and Human Life whicl,
chonsfstry Gives.
Lnnfon obs<rvr.
A most unfortunate accident which has oc-
Cured at Prague recalls in tnapy Of tts cir
cumstautes. tho quaint traditions that wcro
once prevalent In regard 10 the mcdtnYAl al-
chemists. Prof. Fischer, OF the Prague 0ym-
nasiam, young man only 25 years OF ago
aud Of the Highest eminence In hts profession,
--tl'at Of ehcmistry,-has come to M untlncly
cnd under tho most melancholy ci1cun-
stances. No ono needs TO bo told that
cyanide Of potassium, = drug largely used in
photography, 10 poison Of tho most
deadly character. It's acttvo Ingredient Is pr,ssIc
acid. Prusstc acid IN lts pure, or. IS chemists
would term It, "anhydrons fornt ID a sub
ssat'cc too dangerous to be Kept, or even manu.
facturcd. II giasa capsule containing wine
rlassfu, Of pure pr,lssic acid were broken In tho
pit OF Theatre. those among tho audience who
were nearest tho doors might cscapo, but tll,,
great majority Wou10 be killed On the spot. The
prussla acid ,e ordinarily sold, and occasionally
drop OF The pure acid to quarter OF q pint Of
water: Puro prussic acid no chemist dare keep,
ite might ns well compress n ton OF DYNAMITE
INTO single cartridge, suppussing such package
lying loose On the tabe.
o? G?yan'ue ,i,. of potassium Is not, like prusslc
scmollng aour or chalk. It Ia, however, 50
over at' open wound Of sore Will cause almost H.
ftHntanGtitls tlcntli; that ffng1nciit a1most i'm
percepttb!o to the eye Will, II swallowed, prove
gaialIy daaal and tllat iss mere smell has beforo
thc ambition OF Prot. Fischer to discover so.no
means OF rendering cyAnlde OF potassium harm.
less. We ran do tais with eunpowler,-nlthourh
te analoEE lt l. not strictly means en-
thuse Tor which Prot Fischer sought were
chemical. We know what happcns il
q ll9ht Is applied to key Of
gunnow'lcr:, la:,, Il, l'owevsr. We; mtS tic
dust, torch may be applied to It with triruui-
IT,. The mechanical rcsistanco Of tie saWllust
make. It impossible for the explosion to al urcc
sprcau to tho whole mass, and tho consequence
sqntb Or bluc-ltght. Prof. Fiscscr'a Idea vas
that, i cyanide of potassium waro thoroughly
mixed With eai nn1uouiac. it would bc as harm
less g gunpow1cr ml1cd with sawdust, but
PURPOSES Of photography ior which te is at pres
cut absolutely fndlsrcnsablc.
ln the course Of hta researches Mr.. Fischer nalo
mixture, OF which in his own n,iud lo felt as
autnc other substance, Anu then. turning to h]s
laboratory assstnnt, said:
"6cicnrc hat now ~ far advanced As to be
a,nut ns rysnI,ic ri r"ts.st.,s,, dangerous an
viii thrsn o wo.i. Il. f'Ass.1nt' IN ta.sa5 5.,,,-.
WAS al1uose tn nm instant sctxel with thu mnat
violent anu cxcruc!aanE agoniea, Ho at once
1.,s",,ecn ~ hossyar ~ seau lor hedieat aid.
cyanide oI potassium, kills almost tnstantn-
1acouhly. In few seconds Prof. Fischer WIS be-
%ou.l M help. We arc toll that there Is 10 posai.
ind hccr ~ uan% snu das a,r.sa agpethto saicide
mssk Of exnericnt IN sba 'u,r.,n uut nnIos .a W.
sys[y r. zen ,. t. bs1rs as tss
csriu n,,rnjs,. a t,oi.. uaiy VOC nan5 Of inc
tnisi. 0 ~" '''e' p'sucecssofS, tae a4enc'
W. know now what will h.nnon J., .nx.
prrn,rn, ,f,t n hn tins IL. ppun 20 my ~
XIII ws"hea = ar,s rG @ IN NITRIC
trra'ts ','u',, - tv,,t - n'u .aen ncautloaslY
WIN IL l,,.vSt Wv ~. W tn1 oia man
h,-sS hayu tirst dlssoyensi fn,,nin.t nssneo .Mh
was j., VI ssenoc sesord: Ihat ho
~ ,t. Sis.s,ur ~ upon inc lulnuates
nrecseiv cnms abn,t that o'i l,o .,,sa ,smo~ 10" H.
did wI) remain matter of ro,irptmaa aaas s. as
nnia., saI az ~ o"y pn.a @ sRat saoe at1d tpurt
tl,n" h,r.t n ho,."' ~" taieu tis paper baF nt'l
tne.nr I;,.",T ~ W. ~. II a9aue. ~ the FTo-
ratn. .nn ~ ,n,,rI, in.. .ss,h ~ ns nppa-
n, Il t,.c1 ~ H., ~ I'll, tsasu th "as ,n.t.
h.st,n. 10 ~ " ~ "lt tne a+cncMiatS5-the
"sr ,ua,, ~ "'v a, s'anem w.om u tohno. and
alwars blowing thrnsrIvc. ,,,s ~ nsg "eto
NJ" yh', E,a,v. w." n,h soc no1loas Fapos For
ai'nmT..rr !. ~ .. u.sis, Vt heAt 80 uolhnr OF
,nty s'";eti,.r 'i Mae3oaa katns liluecd y.
whsch IL nnous nn.hj, euI" ~, ~ .n,usstancea ot
INN a,n,ss, ~ ooI4ann ~ '.I,a sutpouf harm!cas
r. -, 1,''s' o. 20 s..a'ena's 20 IN miro; b1lt
ilht 10 th",n md tn re.,,1t ,' iii tF1U M ApY
Ilm. ' N''>A ''o '''1'' VIII 'aae'' ssto''sa