The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-03-30

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LONG harm; the former effect being
immediate and the latter remote, or, at
east, for time remaining concealed.
By experiments the fact was developed
that animals to which arsenic had been
given in very small doses grew heavier
and fatter, but at the same time there |
was also fatty degeneration of the
heart, liver and kidneys.
No other conclusions can be drawn
from a physiological study Of arsenic
than there are some diseases in which
it can do much good without doing
harm; among such are chronic affec-
tons of the skin, certain nervous af-
fections, and peculiar states of the
blood. 1t is also clear that unless the
cases in which it is given are wisely
only in those for which
it is eminently an appropriate remedy
much injury is likely to result sooner
or later. People must disabuse them
selves of the idea, which is SO COM
mon, that arsenic in minute doses is
always a tonic which can safely be
taken whenever something OF the sort
is needed. There never was greater
mistake made, nor one likely to work
injury. Take at random a hundred
people who need tonic, and it is safe
to say that by scarcely one out OF that
number can arsenic, even in small doses,
be borne without near or remote injury.
This fact, which can not be disputed,
shows that this powerful poison is safe
only in the hands of a thorough physi-
clan, and no one, under any condition,
should ever take it except when duly
prescribed. As for the external use OF
arsenic, it is used much less now than
formerly. At one time it was often
employed as a caustic in destructive
skin affections, such as cancer, slough
ing ulcers, etc. When applied as a
paste, certain portions OF the skin. the
liberated as well as some of the
healthy. are destroyed. After being on
from three to five days, the part COW
cred by the arsenic appears as though
small pieces had been hacked out OF
it, but between the small openings are
little points of healthy skin which have
remained unaffected. The arsenical
paste is the application in common use
by medical charlatans who pretend to
have an infallible cure. Considering
the peculiar wound which it leaves
after being applied to cancer, the
pretcnsion that the disease has been
s'drawn out by the roots" is easy fol-
the ignorant to believe.
A discussion OF arsenic would scarcely
be complete without an allusion to Its
extensive use in trades. On this sub.
ject correspondent to the Druggists
Circular has recently commented. He
stated that some few months ago hi
examined for large firm of household
furnishers, as we'll as for numerou!
private individuals, number of sam
pies of the fashionable Limitation In
dian muslins'' and cretonnes. More
than one hundred samples were exam
ined, and twenty-three per cent. o
these were found to contain arsenic II
appreciable quantities. The colors il
which arsenic were principally preseu
were the terra-cotta reds and the green
ish browns. AS result of experiment
it was concluded that under ordinar.
circumstances there was no danger o
arsenic poisoning from these goods.
| But, says the writer referred to, il
two cases samples of these material
were brought to me by medical men, il
which we'll marked symptoms of ARISEN
ical poisoning were ascribed to thei
use. In one case, some six or eigh
work girls employed in making u
some of this material were all take
i'll with the same symptoms of arsenics
poisoning. OF course, IN such case
the material, when pressed with he
irons, is heated far beyond blood heal
and minute particles are detached an
. float in the air of the work-room. Ths
the arsenic is held very loosely by tn
fabric was evidenced by dipping som
of the fabric in water; plenty OF th
arsenic was at once taken up by th
water. 1t would seem at first as
this might be due to arsenic havin
, been used as a preservative for th
, size or starch present as "stiffening;
but then these muslins have no sitter
/ ing. / found my infant playing. latel.
with a small glazed cardboard box of
] green color that had once containe
, chocolate, and that had been Of
t tanned from one of the automat
, supply boxes. After the manner Of il
: fants., he was occasionally sucking thi
: Out OF curiosity tested it. and four
r that the surface paper" measurir
: five inches by one and three-fourth