Savannah morning news., 1885-11-07
THE DEADLY ARSENIC.
Where the World Draws its Supply
FrOm-SOme Facts About the Drug.

Where the World Draws its Supply
FrOm-Some Facts About the Drug.
The recent developments in the Walkup
| trial in New Orleans have excited a good
deal of interest throughout the country.
! The various uses to which arsenic is
/ put and its effect upon the human system
! have been widely discussed in connection
with the trial which, in many respects, is
one OF the mostsremarkable on record. A
prominent druggist speaking a day or
two ago of the production of arsenic,
which Is almost wholly from the mines Of
| Austria, said:
"The world draws its supply of arsenic
| almost entirely from Bohemia and Sax
ony. The miners receive a very high
compensation on account of the danger of
the work in which they are engaged. So
deadly work is il that those who pursue
/ the occupation for number OF years
rarely live TO be more than 40 or As years
OF age. Very many, however, engage in
arsenic mining for few years only, make
considerable money, and go out Of the
business with comparatively little injury
to their system. The injury sustained
arises solely from the external effects of
arsenic on the human system, for arsenic
miners are rarely arsenic eaters.
''in the province of Styria, however,
where considerable arsenic is mined, the
great majority of men are in the habit of
eating arsenic, and so far from il injuring
them, healthier lot of people can scarce
| ly be found anywhere. Neither does it
shorten their lives, for those people con-
slider that they die yOungif they do not live
to be 80 or 100"
How much do they eat?'
Wen, they keep a piece OF twenty or
thirty grains, possibly, in their mouths,
and suck it as one might suck candy.
Arsenic is so hard, however, that not
more than grain, probably, is dissolved
and eaten during "a hours, even in such q
case as that. But grain would be
enough to kill an ordinary man or woman.
Some of these people, after having used
arsenic for years in this way, are unable
TO do without 1t, and cessation OF its use
would in many cases be fatal. They be-
come able to stand easily what would
suffice to kill number of men unaccus-
toned to arsenic, and instances are on
record where men have eaten twenty or
thirty grams and survived.
''Ninety-nine per cent OF the arsenic
that is received is probably used for
technical purposes, and it is almost inn
possible to estimate, even roughly, the
amount so used. 1t is frequently used in
the manufacture of wall papers, and
never fails to infict injury, when so used,
on the people who dwell in the house
where such paper is found.
There is probably more arsenic used
for medicinal purposes in the United
states than in any other country in the
world, and few people are aware to what
an extent it is used here. 1t acts as
tonic, and is undoubtedly a good thing
for the complexion. 1t is used as a rem
edy, or partial remedy, for all kinds
Of blood diseases. Nearly all, if not quite
all, the arsenic used in the United States
comes by way of New York"
Can you give an idea as to the amount
imported into the United States?"
"Only very roughly. l see from this
New York drug journal tnat few weeks
ago about 33, 600 pounds of arsenic were
imported. Now, looking over the file Of
that paper, we come to no more arsenic
for three or four weeks. Then we see
again a notice of the importation during
one week of nearly 100000 pounds. /
think it safe to say that the importation
of arsenic runs up to the millions an
nually."
lis arsenic much used for the COM
pleXion?
"Only to a slight extent. There is little
call for it that way. Arsenic is very ca
silly obtained in the United States, not
withstanding the poison laws. A drug
gist, for instance, might refuse to sell
man three or four grains, and that man
might 20 Immediately to a wholesale
dealer and purchase five pounds, enough
to poison whole community"