Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-18
A Dealer Talks OF Their Properties as
Quick and Pal less Agents.
Rough On Rats" Most
&c N mS5sf7 Used, but it Causes Intense suf
Other compounds ACT Inskaa-
tsaeou , ard eth Slight Pain.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

| =
80 well known that its use for pur-
poses Of suictding is attributable more 10
! the ignorance Of those who resort to il
ta&n to is efficacy. 1t Will, OF course, do
! it's work, bus IFS use in the light OF the
untold suffering it entails, the excrucia-
ting sgoDies, and convulsive gfipings en-
duIed before the end comes, when SO
many drlgs, comparatively painless in
their action, 6re TO be had, is TO be Won
IseTed at.
With the view Of gscertaining the
variety ard destructive characteristics Ct
the many mineral and vegetable poisons
on the msEket, reporter for the Inter
Ocean yesterday Interviewed prominent
druggist with
THE FOLLOWING RESULT:
/ (Which drug will cause deAth with the
f8aso 3mVunt OF psiu?"
morphine. IN ordinary cases one and
Gne-han to two grains OF this opiate vii
cause death. Shortly after it is swallow
ed It causes barely peTceptible gripping
on the stomach. After the wculd-be sui
eide Is thoroughly under the influence all
pains ceases, and unless interference fol
lows discovery his death is altogether pain
es9. II he be discovered, however, and eff
forts at resusCit23i0a are made, then his
snfaTings must necessarily be intense.
The only mode Of Kidding the suicide OF
the soporifc iDhaeDca is by torture. He
must b; kept sWske and to accomplish
this end cuffing, cowhiding and any
method Of torture convenient al hand
should be employed"
What drug acts most promptly in de-
stTOYing lite?"
"IG IS generally conceded, believe,
that hydrocyanic, or prussic acid, as If is
more commonly called, stands foremost
for rapidit7 of action. Il is q colorless,
transparent, itflammabe liquid, Of *.
tFeme volatility. It's odor is similar 10
thAt emitted By peach kernels Or bitter
almonds ard is so strong that it
produces immediate headache and
giddinesa. It's Vapor is so dele
ferrous that the smallest portion Of it
cannot be inhaled without the greatest
danger. It's extraordinary deSth-pro-
ducing powers may be The more readily
comprehended when it ia SAID that ore
and nall grains Of the diluted scid will
produce desth il G few seconds. Soma
lines death occurs irstautaneousi7. It
.sisss direct action on the heart in most
| cases, hut not iGirequeltly death is
produced by asphyX!s, bSGu3ht en- by
direc. psralJ Eng action of the
poison upon the respiratory certers. Not
| outstanding the tremendous and almost
| incalculabIe energy OF this acid as 8
| poison, il IS che Ct the most useful med
lcines, when in diluted state, the pro-
| tss.iou has 81 huod. From 1-1O0 to 1-25
If q grain is the Gose ususlly prescribed
by our physiCiing, and fhenit is properly
diluted.
"Cyanite Of potassium is @ compound
q prussic acid, and acts precisely like
the acid as poison and IS medicine
I!s potency is suggested when it is re.
marked that re grains have repeatedly
tiken.l life.
sssssssAMONG THE VEGETABLE PoIsONS
I perhaps the most powerful is the slkaloiG
derived from ac0nite and called 6conita
| One tiftieth II a grain Of the pure alks.
loid will produce death. 1t is hardly
necessary 10 state Whist an extremely
small particle one-fitieth Of a grain
Is. On the point Of q knife a powerful
hand glass would have to be called into
requIsltion TO discover this QUAINT v
When taken in poisonous does, the chsr.
sct9ristic properties OF this drug are 6
peculiar tingling in the mouth, not st sll
| unpleasant, burning heat in the stomach,
violent nausea, vomiting AID pureipg,
| headache, dimness OF vision, contra cteG
or expanded pupils, muscular spsems,
| cold extremities and feeble pulse. Death
ensues shortly. This poison is Justly uu-
popular for suicidal purposes.
"Of the more popular poisons used for
self destruction is strychnine, an alk4-
Ioid, prepared from the plant nux vomics
and ignstis. StrJ chime, like aconitia
and prussic scid, will produce death in
very minute doses. Poisonous doses
usually excite not only SPECIFY, but very
sudden symptoms-convulsi affect
!Ug all the voluntary mus
Cles, pisinly reflex in character, apd
in;errupted.by periods OF complete relax
alton. Strychnine, TOO, is very painful
poison, By reason of the fact that con-
scioGs2ess remains undisturbed. and the
suicide is mentally Is well as physically
awske to Sll the sufferings attendant
thereon. One grain will suffice 10 kill
the most robust man, as it terminates in
asphJXin and the most violent corvul-
sions., So bitter is this drug that one
grain in & barrel OF water is perceptible
10 the taste.
EXPLORER STANLEY
is resp orsible fer the Introduction In the
market Of another desdly poison
~ en- Il,