The Wilmingtonian., 1885-02-14
HEALTH HINTS.
POISON,

Poison. substance which, when taken
into the stomach, mixed with the blood, OF
applied to the skin or flesh, proves fatal or
deleterious; anything infectious or malig-
nant.
We read in tie daily paper OF child sud
denly attacked by severe vomiting, which,
the usual remedies failing to check, ends in
exhaustion and death; and the cause is laid
anywhere but ut the coufectioner's counter
where tie boy bought his candies and cake
favored with bitter almond.
"The bitter almond is powerful poison. "
A single drop Of the essential oil on cats
tongue made dead pussy out of a living
one in just five minutes, by experiment.
Someme delicate organizations, especially
among children, can bear but little of this
essence, the smallest quantity producing an
eruption like nottle rash, if nothing worse,
and yet, macaroons are eaten and given to
children to eat with impunity, while confec-
tioners are often, now days using, not the
bitter almond, but thee sscntial oil for their
| favoring.
There is'a "lamily connection" between
the bitter and sweet almond, how close is
not clearly def Aed, but sufficient to show
that on some sers--as, the sweet nut on our
table ifeate4i5- produces an effect similar to
that caused by the bitter almond.
Lead poisoning we are trina more famil-
lar with, as some members of our house.
holds are more susceptible than others to
the injurious effect of water run through
lead pipes. But the poison in this case, act
ing slowly and subtily is usually classed un-
der the broad and good-naturedly y-embracing
term, "Nalaria." Those who work in lead
mines or in any way with lead, to absorb its
fine dust into their systems, except by the
creates care, sooner or lator have what is in
general phraseology called, printers Oh
painters p lsy.
The habit of children to bite and wet
their lead pencils is ofteu followed by Sc
riOus results, which are more likely to b,
traced to a close school-room and hare
study than to the lead pencils, slate pencils
and chalk they have muuched on at shor
intervals, five days out of every seven.
Another of the everyday poisons is founc
in the syrup which is leading feature o
the American breakfast table. "The us,
of chloride of tin in gluco,e syrups has beer
proved by number Of analyses" Think 0
+ it, oh ye who indulge in golden drip" anc
maple syrur' these cold wintry morning.
on your hot cakes! Beware of any syrul
} that "leaves metallic taste in the mouth,
lest by means of the sweet liquid you
stomach gets tin lining and you, wonder
ing why on earth you have developed dys
pep'ia, conclgle that it must be that tn
hot cakes disagree with you.
And if the faid cakes are made of tn
: raisinglnadei ieasy-stulf called baking pow
ae', - s.es~ fosr v,.~ a,sp,,roe
ment can be id to them. For analysis ha
shown the ~ liking powder" to be con
gomeration il which desiccated alnm is th
prominent if not the largest Ingredient.
Now, ''l'hat alum is not friendly to or
; ganie life is shown by its almost general alb
sence from the composition of vegetable
and animals" mot friendly" is a mil,
term to use, and to try the experiment o
) forcing into nature what nature does no
want, by putting the poison into our dali,
food is not always perfectly harmless. W.
are told that alumni, is used in preparin.
some kinds of leather, SO by eating hearth,
of our cakes and syrup we may not only b.
timed but tanned!