The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-24

A Chemist Publicly Reveals Some Startling
Facts-An Abominabls and Dangerous
| Female Practice.
| cleveland TO-, Hsrald.l
! do you see that lady7" said prominent
chemist Of this city to Herald reporter.
GAS sure as that the sun will rise tomorrow,
so surely will that woman die prematurely
in few years by slow but certain self-des-
truction."
The scene was on Superior street, and the
lady in question was standing ON the side
| walk waiting for one of the cars The after
noon 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 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
clear, but it was unnatural. Accepting an
invitation to step into the chemists laborato-
~, the reporter was soon seated in a spacious
room surrounded by thousands of bottles of
all shapes and sizes, and the conversation
turned again on the woman seen in the
| street.
| THAT lady," said the chemist, seriously,
dis an arsenic-eater. 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
wife's beautiful complexion, the father who
presses the pale forehead of his daughter, and
the lover who is proud of, while he is anxious
about the transparent and clear complexion
| of his sweetheart, never dreams for moment
that tits an unnatural effect produced by the
use of "a poison which will sooner or later de-
stroy life. / am not telling this for sensa-
ton; 1t is a terrible truth, and 1 could
sit down and write off now list of 500
| names ofladies who arr 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 slow suicide.
"How is the drug usually taken?'
sometimes pure in minute Doses but gen.
orally in the form of Fowler's solution. For
the first few months, maybe in some cases
for year, little or no effects ensue, but after
that time the beautiful pallor which you have
seen is produced. After few years the
wretched woman begins to feel her health
giving way, and decides to discontinue its
use. Alas, it is too latel The face changes
to hvid 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 alsbaster to
a dull, CHASTITY complexion like chalk; the
whole system, saturated with this mineral
gives way, and usually death mercifully ends
a life of paralysis. 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 generation"
"Are there any other drugs used for the
complexion which have the same effects as
| arsenic?"
"None which have such awful consequent
ces in their train, because there are no other
poisons which are habtually taken internally
to beautify the complexion, but great damage
is being done by the use of cosmetics. Why.
sir. / have analysed over 60 Of the
did not find one which did
not contain either sugar of lead, oxide of
zinc, or some other preparations of lead. The
amount varies from two to 10 grains per
ounce, but in all it is the leading ingredient"
"What would be the effect of the continued
use of cosmetics2"
briefly this: Sooner or later, in proportion
to the quantity used and the frequency of its
application, the pores of the face become
packed with the insoluple material Of the
base. causing lead-poisoning of the minute
nerves and blood-vessels, and paralysis of the
skin, extending even in some instances into
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 res
piratory organs and it always has the effect
of making the skin yellow and leather-like.
But if the consequences which follow the use
of cosmetics are not so deadly as those which
follow 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 extended and close at
tention, so per cent. of the women between
the ages of 25 and so use cosmetics in great
er or less degree, and probably about 40 pei
cent between Is and %. People fail to re-
aize the immensely Of the evil. l have seen
dozens of cases, and heard Of hundreds more
on good authority, of mothers applying these
, poisonous preparations to their young chill
: dren, and even to infants a few weeks old
running the complexion for life. 1t is a Sc
cret underhand trade in one way, for thu
woman seldom tells her dearest friends thai
she habitually uses certain balm or reno
, vator. The manufacturers and dealers WHIT
7 pander to this wretched taste make no Sc
cret of their preparation, but advertise it IA
!, and wide, and will give some idea of tn
widespread demand which exists for thes
> poisons when 1 tell you that during the yea
1878 there were manufactured and sold II
this country alone over 100000 gallons of
certain well-known patent wash for the fac
=. and neck. While on this subject l mus
: not omit to mention preparation. which
|, will not name, for the removal of freckles
: As it certainly does remove freckles, its sal
has enormously increased in the last tw
years. A few months ago 1 analysed
:, specimen, and was Mortified to find that
!, contained % per cent of corrosive sublimat
= At present it has large sale, and it is r.
y tailed at high price"
"Are there any cosmetics which improv
i the skin and are harmless?"
is "None, except fresh air and pure waite
n Carbonate of magnesia is quite extensivel
used. and is not, perhaps, positively injuriou
IF but it makes the skin look tough and oil
10 | and in time stons the circulation of the bloc