River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-10-24
The ARSENIC HABIT.



Po san Out OF 1t.
The sensational trial. conviction,
sentence and Communication of sentence
of Mrs. Maybrick. charged with poison
ing her husband. and her defense,
through which she claimed that the
presence Of arsenic1l fy-paper in her
boudoir was for toilet purpose, have
turned public attention TO the use OF
this poison by women OF fashion. Mrs.
Maybrick endeavored to explain away
the presence of the poison by alleging
its use Cor the improvement of her COM
plexion. She explained how she skill
fully prepared it for toilet purposes,
and in view of the strictness of the En-
glish law regarding the sale of poison
when not absolutely a necessity her
explanation would probably have been
accepted by the court had her diver
sion from the path of wifely duty been
less notorious.
1t is appalling to note how the de-
mand of arsenic has increased in the
last years. Before the enterprising
American women of the middle class
discovered the complexion-imprOving
qualities of the deadly drug its use
was confined 10 wealthy women of
fashion. Soon all women began to
learn of the pale pink tint that was
impaired TO the skin when arsenic was
judiciously taken and druggists began
to find m arsenic profitable source of
revenue.
Druggists do not deny (nor do rep
utable physicians) that arsenic care
fully administered may improve the
complexion or even benefit the system
under certain conditions, but they de-
plcre the prodigal use which the poi
sOnOus drug has reached. English law
is so strict regarding the sale of such
drugs that conscientious apothecaries
refuse to supply customers except upon
the prescription of a physician. In
America the laws are more lax and
the most trivial excnsc given by the
lady customer will pave the way for
the purchase of arsenic which an un-
scrupulOus customer may apply TO an
unlawful purpose.
4 well-knowu druggist makes the
statement that fly-paper is largely used
in England by women for tho purpose
TO which Airs Maybrick devoted it
Soaking it in water will extract the
arsenic from the sheet and transfer
the poison to the liquid. Il is then
applied to the skin or drank in minute
doses with the result which is so APP
parent in Mrs. Maybrick's appearance.
Like the opium habit ar5enic-eatiug
grows upon the victim and its work is
slow but sure. Arsenic is used for
amounting purposes, too, b. large num-
bers of working girls who toll in the
mills and factories. They have not
yet learned the art Of eating the drug,
and employ it in a crude fashion by
dissolving the substance in water and
applying it in lOtion-like form to the
face and hands. Its baueful effects are
not so quickly apparent as are those of
arsenic-eatiug. but sooner or later the
foolish victims of the poisonous drug
contract an appetite for it and their
death is but a matter OF months.
l. is not possible to estimate the
number OF deaths among women for
which the use Of arsenic is responsible.
owing to their secrecy in using the
drug But a goodly proportion of So
called blood-pOisouing cases can be
traced TO an ignorant use of arsenic.
There is no denying the fact that its
use is daily increasing. American
women. favored by the looseness of
laws governing druggists, are enabled
to buy arsenic in its pure stage, and
do not take kindly to fly-paper.
Doubtless they sympathize with Mrs.
Maybrick, whose confession has laid
before the world the dire emergency
TO which women arsenic slaves in En-
gland have been reduced. With char
acteristic American independence they
buy arsenic in powder or in humps, and
seek the seclusiOn of their homes to
make use of il. Philadelphia Record.