The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-03-23

suit OF the inquiry made into their COM
position some years ago was that these
dyes very frequently contain arsenic,
which. unless it has been removed after
the purpose for which it has been in
troduced is served, is apt to precipitate
the most painful consequences. Fus-
cine, as it is called on the Continent,
solferino, rosaniline. and SO forth
to use its more familiar names in this
country-has been found to yield on
analysis over two per cent. of arsenious
acid, in addition to It per cent. of
arsenic acid. Coraline, another brill
liant red dye, has more than once
caused poisoning by being absorbed
through the heated skin when used in
Undertaking; while the green arsen7
lite of copper, employed to cover tarl?
atans, is apt to get rubbed off and in
hailed, not only by the wearer, but by
others in the same room. The symp-
toms of such poisoning DR.. Morris has
described as red and painful swellings
of the parts affected, followed by bis
ters, which in time verge into ulcers,
and accompanied by headache, languor,
nausea and feverishness, constantly in
creasing until the offending article is
removed. There are, indeed, few pieces
of Undertaking which have not at
some time or other been accused OF
thus playing the poisoner. The analine
dye in a flannel waistcoat or in q
''ohest protector" has been affirmed to
be the reason of painful pimples break
ing out on the skin against which they
lay. Socks have been guilty of raising
inflammation on the legs, and even one
of those gaudy-hued hats which for a
time were supposed to be "just the
thing" for lawn tennis was condemned
as the origin of a poisoned swelling of
the forehead. Gloves have not escaped
well-founded suspicion of not being
so innocent as they look, and case
was reported some years ago in which
an eruption around the ankle was &C.
casioned by wearing shoes lined with
yellow leather, into which some dele
FERROUS ingredient had entered.
Atone time confectioner's shops were
well-recognized magazines of domestic
poisons, since, apart from the dubi-
ously wholesome character of their
least noxious contents, the green, yell
low and ruby hues of the sweetmeats
were often indebted to copper and
other poisons for their brilliancy.
Nowadays, however, the adulteration
act has rendered these palaces of youth
full delight comparatively harmless,
though they still help the general
practitioner to o steady income. Even
the fuscine-colored wines of France
are less in vogue. The competition of
the Colonial, Greek, Hungarian and
Italian vintages has made the dealers
in these d0ctored products of Bordeaux
and Bu"gundy-and possibly of quar-
tiers not so distant-more cautious than
of old, since the importers of purer
brands are prone to get an analysis of
their rivals bottles, and, like the hero
of Burns song, to ''prent it, But
even yet, in spite of all the cautions
which have been issued, there are
pickles for sale which contain copper,
and daintily preserved fruits, the color
of which is derived, not from the labo-
ratory of nature, but from the retorts
of the chemist. Olive-green wall pa
pers often contain-or did contain, for
they are eyed askance nowadays, I'M
lncG INpnnf tNpcifirn Of fl,oir
ness is supplied to the purchaser-ar-
senic, which, being driven off by the
heat OF the room, brings on
dysenteric symptoms, with intense
weakness and languor. An eminent
physician, who was at first skeptical as
to the possible evil influences of such a
paper, learned to his cost that it was a
real danger. Another medical man
and his wife were nearly killed by ar
senical paint, and third practitioner
attributed the death of his children to
the nursery wall paper, which was
found, when too late for the discovery
to be of any avail, to contain arsenic
in large quantities. 1t is not improba-
BILE that much of that weakness, weari-
ness and depression which many men
experience on leaving home in the
morning. and which is again felt on
returning in the evening, is due, not
to ''overwork" convenient, pre-
disposing cause of so much mythical
illness-but as DR.. Lauder Brunton
had suggested, to the drains and the
householders wallpapers. These do
nestle poisons are, we believe, not now
common. Experience has taught even
the least scrupulous manufacturer that
that it does not pay to make them
Nevertheless, they are to be had often
in quarters little liable to suspicion.
The dealer will invariably deny the
existence of arsenic in his green's,
as the paper-hanger did in the
cases mentioned, and, possibly, with
perfect confidence that none had been
used. AT the same time, if that kind
of wall-covering is selected. it would
be wise to get piece tested, since
there is, perhaps. no poison in the
world so readily detected as the one in
ucstion.-London Standard.
A Hopeless Undertaking.
"Now, sir" said the attorney for the