The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08
TALKS WITH DOCTORS.
What Physician Says About Brander Mat
thewS's Story and the Use of Arsenic.

tleman OF this city, who has made a special
study of toxicology, as a teacher of medical
chemistry, and also an expert in criminal
cases, to find his views in regard to Brander Mat
thews's story 1.-The Elixir of Dcath.s published
in yesterdays supplement.
The doctor was asked what he thought of 1t as
literary production, and also as q scientific dis
cussion of poisons in general
Il was fascinated with the story" said the
Psychologist, land read the entire five columns
without taking my eyes from the paper for
moment have read many tales of the Elixir
of Life" but have found nothing so fascinating
as this. 1t is classic Of its kinda scientific
romance. have just been rereading DeQuin-
cey's Confessions of an Opium Eater" and also
the prose vagaries of Poe in his ''Tales OF the
Grotesque and Arabesque." DeQuincey's wis
ion of Sudden Death is not so horrible or so
fascinating think this, by all odds. the best
original story ! have ever read in the
Journal, although all of the recent series have
been good. Mr.. Mathews has evidently gone
over the hidden classics of Genealogical history,
and especially of arsenic. He evidently read
and studied widely, and then wrote easily out of
full mind and knowledge. The novelist and
romancer of the present has wide field before
him in modern science Save Clothes Elective
Afinities, recall no continued story based on |,
modern science Roe's Natures Serial Story, in
the Century of last year, is very weak attempt
to mix in natural history with little harmless
sparkling and Irritation; it doesn't amount to much
on the side of either science or love- however, in
my Judgment
an immoral book, is it not}" quered the reporter.
Eyes, it is regarded by surface readers. and
some critics of Clothes own nation. But it is
really portrayal of how third party, intro
duced to a happy home, may destroy ill., The
book is really in the interestof the purest home
life and strictest vrtue-but Goethe wrote az an
artist rather than moralist and is often mis-
represented. The chemical afinites do not exert
themselves except under certain comfortable
conditions, and SO with conjugal affections and
natural passions The poets, think. have pre-
ceded the noveists and romancers in the utiliza
ton of scientific truth Tennysons In Memo
Ram is replete with illustrations drawn from
recent discoveries in science; the botany, chem
istry, geology and pervading idea of evolution.
show the author OF In Memoriam to be as much
at home in the material world in the sub
stratum of metaphysics or psychology on which,
after ALL the knowledge of material things may
depend. Imagination is as necessary to the man
of science to the poet, and there is greater
aid to scientific discovery than vivid magma
ton, Mr.. Tyndali has shown in mis- essay
the Scientific Use of Imagination Mr.. Mat
thews has a lively fancy, and he has made
little reading of toxicology and medical iuris-
prudence-in itself the romance of medical
literature-go good ways with his readers.
he seems most fascinated with arsenic or all the
great group OF poisons."
"Well is not arsenic the leading poison, and
has not Mr.. Matthews represented the action of
it on the system correctly
Eyes, to your first question, and no to your
second" said the medical man, taking little
package from carefully locked case. Here is
ana fOi1pf nf lin f niR Ehi
from the liver of farmer who lived in Boone
county. There was also arsenic found in the
kidneys and the spieen-less than two grains III
ALL but sufficient to establish the fact of poison
ing. Arsenic is a terrible and awful poison. 1t
is nearly insoluble in water, and as good as
tasteless. But tumbler of cold water will dis
solve five or six grains in day-a fatal dose for
an adult In a cup of tea coffee fatal dose
would be tasteess, while pound, costing about
nine cents would be fatal to a thousand men.
Half an ounce might be taken in bowl of Cruel
unknown to the eater while between the two
halves of buttered cracker seven or
eight grains would be eaten undetected.
And yet recovery has often occurred
after doses of two or three hundred grains. The
symptoms-pain, purging, vomiting. cramps and
horrible thirst-come on in from one-half an
hour to an hour Most die within the day, more
than half the cases within six hours; while some
have died in twenty minutes, from the shock
She mind is clear to the last Some survive for
years, but usually paralyzed and disabled. 1t
is ali thrown OIL Ln6 system III IFCm Sixteen 10
twenty one days. and mainly by the kidneys.
It is found in all the TISSUES, even the bones,
and can be found and identified by Marshs test
In blister on the skin. This test VIII detect
the five hundred thousandth of grain of ar.
senic
arsenic is used in glass-making and enamel
ing 1t is given horses at sale stables to make
them sleek and plump 1t is common rat
poison. Spread with lard on bread, and put I'M
der the floors of barns there is nothing better
1t is used III taxidermy, and in coloring green
papers for walls and boxes. 1t has been found
in the green alphabet cards, used in city
primary schools and kindergartens-enough to
kill child in every square inch of card surface.
"Mr Matthew's idea of the crazy seeker after
the Elixir of Death killing his wife by with
drawing the poison from her, is without founda-
ton. Such might rarely be the with opium
eaters; sudden withdrawal of any drug is not
likely to be fatal, not even Of whisky or tobacco
and no person was ever killed by the withdrawal
Of so good tonics as quiIine, arsenic or strych-
MIA No doubt arsenic has positive tonic in
huence over nutrition, and so indirectly increases
the blood and strength. Professor Tomasi
Crudeli, Of Rome, believes arsenic much better
for malaria than quinine, and in the form of Fow
ler's solution it is very ge nerally prescribed"
"How much arsenic do these Tyrolese peas
ants Mr.. Matthews speaks of take daily"
well. that is a mixed question. 1t has been
denied by some that they eat arsenic at all. The
people of Styria, an Austrian province
about 100000 in number. are mountain
They are said to begin with oneffth of grain
and to rise to five daily The Syrian girls take
arsenic for the same reason our women do-to
beautify their compilations and enhance their
charms, and the young Syrian bucks, to in
crease their wind and endurance as huntsmen
and mountain climbers. These toxophagi are re-
ported to be long-lived and hardy DIR. c.
Maclagon. of Edinburg visited the Syrian
Alps in 1864, and administered to one of the
regular arsenic eaters five grains at dose with
out i'll effect Ordinarily that is a fatal dose for
an adult within six hours. He reports the rats
bane eaters to all belong to the lower classes
and as strong, healthy, courageous, pugnacous
puted. and it is not likely they take over half a
grain daily.
Arsenic has limit: there is no such toler-
ance of 1t as of morphia. which is, after ALL the
elixir of death Arsenic is easily detected, and