Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-16
POISON BY THE TON.
ENOUGH ARSENIC IMPORTED TO De-
POPULATE AMERICA
New York Herald

city from Cornwall, England. and from
the mines Of Austria, Hungary, and DO
hemia, about 1000 kegs Of arsenic, which
average 400 pounds Of weight each.
Physicians SAY THAT q dose Of two and q
half grains Of arsenious acid Is pretty GER
tain to prove fatal A little simple fgur'
ing will therefore show that If the impoH-
tations Of a single year were divided up
into equal portions corresponding in
number with the number Of inhabitants
In the United States, and each man,
woman. and child took one of those por.
tons on q given day, human life would
on that day cease 10 exist in the territory
now covered by the stars and stripes. In
recent years the importation has rapidly
increased. and the fact that numerous
cases of a~rsenical poisoning appear from
time to time on the police records and be-
fore coroner's iuries renders an inquiry
desirable as to the purposes to which the
enormous shipments Of this deadly min
eral are applied.
A reporter visited several Of the great
drug importing houses, and consulted
chemists in reference to this matter. All
admitted that the quantity Of arsenic
used for medicinal purposes Is insignin'
cant, and hat the bulk Of the importation
is used for manufacturing, preserving,
decorating and identifying purposes.
Some Of the chemists while, expressing a
desire not 10 be quoted, freely admitted
that health and life were being eRdan-
gered by a too free introduction of the
poison into articles of everyday use.
A chemist who is engaged in the serv-
ices of one Of our leading importing
houses, and who is an acknowledged au-
thority among his brethren, said: ut is
no secret that the careless and unskillful
handling Of arsenic and arsenical prepare
tons result. in serious illness and in heavy
loss of life every year."
as it not a fact that arsenic in n
shape or another is making inroads into
fashionable households year after yearH"
This can not be disputed. Arsenic
acid Is the very best preserver not only of
fabrics, but of colors, and 1t is but natural
that decorators should take some risks in
using it. In many of our fashionable
mansions the bright colOrs on the walls
are made fast by arsenic; the same may
be said Of the carpets and tapestries, and
Of the gaudy, tinted robes which have o
fascination for some young ladies',
docs the presence of arsenic In an
apartment necessarily imply that 1t must
be an unhealthy place Of abodeP"
Mot of necessity; still, myself would
not care to sleep in such q room. Odors
may be given out that are sure to sicken
the stomach If the work is unskillfully
done. In my opinion this accounts for q
good deal of the debility and nervous all
ments that prevail in fashionable circles
hnHn and alonTvharn quite roaaut1xy n
woman lost her eye-sight in this city
while cleaning a carpet that was found to
have its colors fastened with arsenic. !
do not believe any physician would main
tain that it was proper to place such 9
carpet for use in any room.
Are the dangers of using arsenic prep
arations fully recognized by the manu-
facturers who use them?"
~They certainly should be-; there is no
excuse for ignorance in q matter of this
kind. It is oar business to import and
sell our goods under proper safeguards;
after that all our responsibility ends.
Are there dangers in the preparation Of
the article for the marketY"
~The preparation Of %arsenious acid is a
most hazardous occupation. The work.
men employed generally die before the
age of 40, and their mean term of life
runs from 30 to rs years. They are com
PEELED to avoid alcoholic drinks, and to
live principally on leguminous vegetables,
with. plenty Of butter, taking very little
meat, and that fat To each man two
glasses of olive oil are administered daily. "
ITO what extent is the drug used as a
m~edicinef"
"A very small fraction of the importa'
ton is used for that purpose. 1t is used
as a tonic occasionally, and actresses use
it to a pretty considerable extent to i'm
part a bright hue to the complexion and
luster to the eyes. When once used fol
that purpose it must be taken right along
or the young lady will find that not only
her dazzling vision but her bodily
energies will melt away with incredible
speed. Horse dealers know a thing OF
two about arsenic. and they also use it. ,
For what purpose?"
aTake an old railroad horse that has
become emaciated in the service. or o
broken-down racer, and dose him with
arsenic under the advice Of a veterinary
surgeon for a few weeks. His appetite
will come to him, his old hair will DROP
of, and a new coat will come out and
the animal will become as frolicsome as q
2-year-old. In the horse market he is
bound to bring q good price and the
Csuntryman who buys him will be proud
of his bargain-at least for a day or so.
When the effect of the drug dies out the
horse falls away and he never regains his
strength.
as ~arsenious acid used il~legitimately
by manufacturers"
~On this question I think there can be
no doubt. There may be recklessness I'm.
der the guise of law In using the acid tc
fasten colors on paper, carpets. tapestries,
or articles Of wearing apparel, and tech
nicaliy speaking there may be nothing
illegitimate in all this 1t is pretty gener,
ally understood, however, that some con
fectioners use arsenical preparations in
coloTing their goods, and this Is certainly
q most serious otfense. Cases Of this kind
crop up from time to time, many of
which result fatally, but / know Of no
instance In which the offender received
the punishment he merited. Arsenic is
also used with dangerous results in paint
ing toys and in c~oloring trimmings for
ball dresses. All these things should be
stopped by the board of health. The
public have enough to engage their atten-
tion in dealing with the scores of legiti-
lnate fields of Industry In which the poison
becomes a valuable agent if handled with
scientific skill.
conditions Indispensable.
Exchanged
No medical - L. -. -. -ao1a n