Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-08-23
DAncER or Bi-suLPHIDE.
Death to Rodents and Reason-A
Mysterious Discovery.

The trial and acquitfal OF Charles
Foster. the squirrel poison manufacturer,
who fired pistol-shct at A. H. Judson,
Esq., calls up the consideration of the
effect Of powerful poisons upon the
atmosphere. and hence to the brain. A
remarkable case occurred recently in
Ventura county, a. given in detail in the
Signal, from which we condense the
material points.
Two highly-educated German BROTH
ers, Alois aud Ludwig Albrecht lived on
q ranch near San Buenaventura, and
kept a large amount Of bi-sulphide of
carbon for the purpose of killing gophers
ands squirrels The vessels containing
1t were leaky, and . large quantity
leaked slowly ont on the floor, and the
brothers for several months inhaled the
deadly odor till both became crazy.
Some time ago Alois attempted to MUIR
der Robert Stocks, and then murdered
himself in the corridor Of the Free Press
building He felt poison in his brain
and thought Stocks had poisoned him.
Hence the assault and the subsequent
suicide. Ludwig became so crazy that
he would not believe that his brother
was dead. although he saw him die. He
said it was somebody else or waxen
image and not his brother. Ali this time
the cause Of their insanity was unknown
till a younger brother came over from
Germany TO look after their affairs. The
man who drove him to Albrecht's rancho
reported that Ludwig did not know the
bfother. He also reported the smell Of
the poison in the Albrecht house. This
was reported to DR.. C. L. Bard, who at
once knew the cause of their insanity,
and the case received prompt attention.
The younger brother will take Ludwig
to Germany in the hope of restoring him
to health by careful treatment and diet
This case. 90 terrible in its results, should
be an instructive one to all who use this
deadly poison. Its effect is to make the
victim wild and seeking to kill some
enemy. The United States
Dispensatory, Revision of 1880, p. $50.
says:
'Bi-sulphids of carbon IL powerful
poison, but it is not used as an internal
remedy. According to NJ. Delpech, the
workmen exposed to the fumes Of the
are affected with headache,
vertigo aud over excitement Of the ner-
vous system, as evinced by voluble
talking, incoherent singing, immoderate
or sometimes by weeping;
and continuance of the exposure IL
apt to cause at length state Of cachexia
"a deranged or abnormal condition of the
nutritive system. ED. characterized by
general weakness, loss Of sexual apps-
lite. dullness Of sight and hearing and
impairment Of memory. M. 8. Cloex
has made with IL experiments ON some of
the smaller animals, as rats and rabbits,
which wore confined under . glass bell
with some cotton saturated with the bi.
sulphids. In . few moments the ami
mails exhibited signs of action in great
excitement followed by retarded move
ments and some convulsive shocks, and
then fell and died in five minutes from
the beginning"
Roscoe L Sch9erlemmer' Treatise on
Chemistry, Vol. 4, p. 643. says:
Carbon bi-sulphide is powerfully poi.
sonous, and its vapor soon produces
fatal effects on small animals exposed to
its action. II not only acts as poison
when inhaled in large quantity, but II
produces very serious effects upon the
system when inhaled for con-
siderable time, even in . very small
amount.
These authorities are disinterested,
and are quoted to show the evidence
gathered by educated inen concerning
this useful but dangerous substance,
which is now coming into such general
use as squirrel poison. Both of these
brothers manifested similar symptoms
and claimed that they had been poi
soned; and the frat attempted to muir
der supposed enemy, while the second
is looking for some foe to kill. In the
manufacture Of squirrel poison there is
extreme danger, and no one engaged In
its manufacture should inhals its odors.
This fact should be widely known, to
prevent further calamities. Another