The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-01
Women Who Eat Arsenic

"Just take good look at this woman
coming toward US and tell me what
you think of her." was the low-toned
remark of a well-known physician.
The woman to whom he referred was
elegantly dressed in polka dot silk
walking costume, and her plump, we'll
developed figure was displayed with a
true fashionable precision.
$50 you didn't see anything queer
about her, eh?'' asked the physician.
"Well, I'll tell you what l saw. First,
that woman's eyelids, particularly the
lower ones, were puffy and full pre-
senting the same appearance that en-
sues when one INDUCES in good fit of
crying. That complexion which you
admired was really and truly of an ala
baster wfliteness, but the delicate pink
was produced by paint and the dead
white by arsenic"
Arsenic! How do you know she
takes arsonic?"
because two years ago she came to
me, thin, almost gaunt woman, and
asked me for q prescription for her
complexion, which was in terrible
condition. You see she had been using
face powders and paints in her stage
make up and they had finally brought
on skin disease. Well, an arsenical
solution is the constituent part of any
prescription for the coplexion. l gave
her such prescription, but warned her
tnat she must use it in small doses, and
after three months she must gradually
increase the intervals between doses
until they finally ceased ut the end of
the fourth month. She promised to
obey me, but she didn't. just as soon
as she found that the arsenic was i'm
proving her compexion | knew what
followed Us if / were there to see it.
She commenced to increase the doses,
in accordance with the popular fallacy
that if little is good more must be
better"
We'll if arsenic produces all these
pleasant results, why shouldn't she
use it?"
Because, replied the physician with
savage emphasis, 'the good results
are only temporary, and she will soon
become physical wreck. Before she
gets back to town from the road next
spring she will commence to notice,
while combing her hair. that it is drop
ping out very freely. l have written
to her, warning her that this and other
symptoms will soon develop. She don t
| believe me now, but as soon as the hair
falling commences she will know am
speaking the truth. She will stop her
arsenic doses in panic, and in two
weeks she will be the worst looking
object that ever wore female clothing
The cutting off Of the arsenic supply
will precipitate the very trouble she
VIII hope to avert. Her cheeks will
sink in, her finger nails will commence
to crack and split and before week
her complexion will be gone. Out of
SutCI NCs sPC1atAoil ollc Will 1cSuuc LICK
arsenic and will be temporarily benc-
fitted She will have the worst symp-
toms of arsenical poisoning before next
summer is over, and will be so hid
eonsly ugly that she will have to retire
from the stage whether she wants to
or not"
What are tho final results of the
disease?"
'Palpitation of the heart, deadly
oppression in breathing. itching eyes,
stiffness of the joints and terrible
emaciation. In this condition the
slightest cold will bring on galloping
consumption and death, Yet know
that arsenic eating is on the increase. y
-New York Star.