The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-13
OTTAWA FREE TRADEAs; SATURDAY, AUGUST IL, 1881
A Timely PrecautlOn.

A Timely Precautlon.
This Is the season when great numbe', Of
people indulge In the pleasures OF rambles III
the woods, rock. glcns, and other adjuncts OF
rural life; but aside from sentiment 1t Is
time TO beware OF poieonOus plants and shrubs.
We may serve purpose" just now, In men.
tiOning few of the most common that should
not be touched: The two varieties Of poison
ivy, sometimes called poisonvine and poison
oak, one Of which grows erect ~ a shrub from
two to five feet high, and the other as vine
from eight TO thirty feet high Poison sumac,
also known as poison elder and swamp dog.
wood, growing as a shrub or small tree from
ten TO eighteen feet high, generally In moist
places; the foliage is light green. or those
which should not even be placed in the mouth
are the wild carrot, wild parsley cowbane,
hemlock parsley, water.hemlock the roots of
which are deadly poisOn), and poison hem
lock (also a virulent poson); the root, leaves
and berries of pOkewecd, scake and Target are
POISONOUS. Children sometimes eat the berries
of the buck. thorn, which Is a violent and dan
gerous purgative, frequently producing dan
gerous symptoms.
The only safe way to avoid the unpleasant
or dangerous effects is to scrnpulously refrain
from handling or chewing any plant, or any
part of 1t, unless the plant Is we'll known TO
YOU and known to be innoxious.
As IVY is one of the most common poisons,
'the.folOwing preventive may be found eilica-
cious: "lf you have been IN contact with 1t,
as soon rs possible thereafter sponge yourself
thoroughly all over with strong vinegar or al.
cohol, with salt sufficient in II to make 1t
briny; then wash off with strong soap .suds.
Cure for the attaion.--When 1t breaks out,
scratch 1t till the surface Is highly irrltated;
then apply o strong solution of OXalic acid.
This Is very severe, but u single application
will be sufllceDt.-lSaturdQy Night.
How EASY TIs TO DIE--"1f had strength
to hold a pen, would write how easy and de-
lghtfui 1t is to de-" the last words of the
celebrated surgeon, VIM. Hunter; and Louis
XIV. is recorded as saying with his last breath,
i" II thought dying had been more difficult"
That the painlessness of death is owing to
some benumbing influence acting on the SEN
sorry nerves may be inferred from the fact that
unioward external surroundings rarely trouble
the dying.
On The day that Lord Collingwood breathed
his last the Mediterranean was tumultuous;
those elements which had been the scene OF
his past glories rose and fell in swelling uDdu'
latlons and seemed as if rocking him to sleep.
Capt Thomas ventured TO ask If he was dis
turbcd 10 the tossing of the ship. Mo,
~
tim, nothing ran disturb me m"re--l am dying,
and am sure II must be cOns0'a'ory to you
and all hai ,uve me Ia see how comfortably |
am coming to my end In the Quarterly Re
Cieto there Is related an instance OF criminal
who escaped death from hanging by the
breaking of The rope Henry ~. of France
sent his physician 10 examine HIM, who re
ported that after a moments suffering the man
saw an appearance like fire, across which APP
peared most beautiful avenue of trees. When
a pardon was mentioned, the prisoner coolly
replied that it was not worth asking for. Those
who have been near death from drowning, and
afterwards restored to CONSCIOUSNESS assert
that the dying suffer but little pain.
Capt. Marryatt states that his sensations at
one time when nearly drowned were rather
pleasant than otherwise. THE first struggle
for life once over, the water closing around
me assumed the appearance of waving green
fields. 1t is not feeling of PAIN,
but seems like sinking down, overpowered by
sleep, in the long, soft grass of the cool mead
ow."
Now this is precisely the condition present
ed IN death from disease. lnsensibili,y comes
on, the mind loses CONSCIOUSNESS Of external
objects, and death rapidly and p'acidly en-
sues from asphyXia.