Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-09-05
ARSENIC EATING.

1t must not, however, be supposed
that any one takes to hedri, or arsenic
eating, quito openly. On the contrary,
1t 10 generally begun In saoret and Ut
the increase of the moon, and In some
villages with superstitious observance.
A very small dose is 1T fret taken once
. week-bresd and butter 10 the favor
ite medium-then twice q week, and 80
on, until, when the Individual arrives
1t dose daily, the dose itself is in
creased till as much be taken as In
ordinary circumstances would kill two
or three individuals. But IL must not
be underttood that those people can
consume the drug altogether with i'm
punity. When they first begin with
their very small doses, they are seized
with nausea and burning pains In the
mouth, throat and stomach, and are
probably very much more uncom
Portable than q boy who has taken his
first cigar.
But one popularity of arsenic eating
Ia this, that when man has once be-
gun 10 indulge in 1t he must continue
to indulge for II he ceases, the arsenic
| In b Is sy stem poisons him or, as 1t IL
popularity expressed, the last dose kill
him. Indeed, the arsenic eater mus
not only continue his indulgence-ht
must also increase the quantity OF the
drug, 70 that 1t is extremely dificul
TO stop the habit for, as sudden cessa'
tion causes death, the gradual cessation
prod uces such terrible heart gnawinl
that no genuine arsenic eater eve
ceased TO eat arsenic while life lasted
1t is curious that while, on the ON
hand, the human organisD Is 30 re
markedly sensitive to arsenic, . mai
may, on the other hand, indulge II
these poisonous doses for years.
This 10 probably owing to the fac
that srsensic acts on the skin, and thu
Is being constantly carried out OF tn
syste m, and also because 1t Is readily
eliminated by the kidneys. Now, thi
prevents any accumulation going on II
the tissues, and thus what might seer
mythical 10 at least brought within tn
range Of possibility. 1t has been calcu
ate,i that this process OF eliminatio
has to be carried on for fourteen day
before . given dose is entirely removed
But yet the fact remains that thet
Austr ian peasants can swallow arseni
to an extent and with An impunity III
/. precedented In the annals of toxicolog,
For the solution Of the problem v
may offer the following consideration
, First of sll, the human organism ma
become accustomed to most II not q
poisoDs, II they are administered .
., first In exceeding small doses, aud
this way poison, Is Is we'll know
} may become q " mithridate" to it.el
Secondly, though the human organis
!, Is extremely sensitive to arsensic, y
some constitutions may be less so tina
9th ers; thus, the arsenic-oaters Of Styr
! are all of them robust mountaineeI
} whose forefathers have eaten ARISEN
from generation to generation, 30 ths
as may bs supposed, each generatio
has become more and more arsen
!, proof than the one before it.
Thirdly like most noun taineers, u
= Styrians consume large quantities
p milk and butter, as we'll rs other 70
8 rich In fats, when the oily matters to
certain extent unto with the arseni
forming an arsAnioal soap, which do
not 80 readily enter into the blood,
= that the total amount OF arsenic actus
lily assimilated is proportionately sma
From this We see that II the 6tyri
u partakes Of an unusual amount Of Il
Dr. deadly drug be 10 ut the same time 7
r only less susceptible to Its influence
| his hereditary descent and his habi
but his food supplies him with sol
sort Of an antidote.