The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-12-30
POISON ~ THE TON.
ENOUGH ARSENIC IMPORTED TO DE-
POPULATE kEsZRICA
A Small Amount Used for Medicinal
PurPoses-Arsenic Acid the Best
Preserver of Fabrics and CoIOrs-
What Horse Dealers DO.

New OFk Herald
There are imported annually in this
city from Cornwall England, and from
the mines of Austria, Hungary. and Boz
hemia, about 1 ,0J0 kegs of arsenic, which
average 400 pounds of weight each.
Physicians say that a dose of two and a
half grains of arsenious acid is pretty Ger
tain to prove fatal A little simple figur
ing will therefore show that if iie impor-
tations of a single year were divided up
into equal portions correspc nding in
number with the number of inhabitants
In the United States, and each mau,
woman, and child took one of those pOr-
tions on given day, human life would
on that day cease to 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 arsenical poisoning appear from
time to time on the police records and be-
fore coroner juries 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 insignif-
cant, and that the bulk of the importation
is used for manufacturing preserving.
decorating and identifying purposes.
Some of the chemists while, expressing a
desire not TO be quoted, freely admitted
that health and life were being endan
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, ard who is an acknowledged au
thority among his brethren said 1t is
no secret that the careless and unskillful
handling of arsenic and arsenical prepare
tiOnS result in serious Illness and in heavy
loss of life every year.
lis it not a fact that arsenic in one
shape or another is making inroads into
fashionable households year after year,"
This can not be disputed Arsenic
acid is the very best preserver not only of
fabrics, but of colOrs, and it is but natural
Chat 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
fascination for some young ladies.
Does the presence of arsenic in an
apartment necessarily imply that it must
be an unhealthy place of abode?"
mot of necessity; still, myself would
not care to sleep in such a 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
good deal of the debility and nervous all
ments that prevail in fashionable circles
here and elsewhere. Quite recently
woman lost her eye-sight in this city
while cleaning 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
carpet for use in any room.
Are the dangers of using arsenic prep
aTations fully recognized by the manu-
facturers who use them"
"They certainly should be- there is no
excuse for ignorance in a matter of this
kind. 1t is our 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 market"
The preparation of arseniOus acid is
most hazardous occupation. The work
men employed generally die before the
age of 40, and their mean term of life
runs from 30 to 81 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
mediciEe?"
"A very small fraction of the importa-
ton is used for that purpose. 1t is used
as a tonic occasionally, and actresses use
part a bright hue to the complexion and
luster to the eyes. When once used for
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 or
two about arsenic, and they also use it. "
For what purpose"
"Take an old railroad horse that has
become emaciated in the service, or a
broken-down racer and dose him with
arsenic underline advice OF a veterinary
surgeon for a few weeks. His appetite
will come to him, his old hair will drop
off, and a new coat will come out and
the animal will become as fTOlicsome as a
2-year-od. In the horse market he is
bound to bring a good price and the
countryman 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.
is arsenious acid used illegitimately
by manufacturers?
"On this question | think there can be !
no doubt. There may be recklessness I'M |
der the guise of law in using the acid to
fasten colors on paper, carpets, tapestries,
or articles OF wearing apparel, and tech /
nically speaking there may be nothing |
Legitimate in all this. 1t is pretty gener- |
ally understood. however, that some con- /
PETITIONERS use arsencal preparations in
coloring their goods. and this is certainly /
a most serious offense. Cases of this kind /
crop up from time to time. many of [
which result fatally but 1 know of no
instance in which the offender received /
the punishment he merited. Arsenic is I
also used with dangerous results in paint !
ing toys and in cOloTing trimmings for /
ball dresses. All these things should be /
stopped by the board Of health. The |
public have enough to engage their atlen-
ton in dealing with the scores of legiti- .
mate fields of industry in which the poison
becomes a valuable agent if handled with |
scientific skill. -
Coalitions Indispensable.