Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-09-12
A POISON MANIA.
AN EXTRAORDINARY EPIDEMIC
OF CRIME IN INDIA.
Hugo Placards Displayed Every
where, Saying. Beware OF the
Poisoners-Assassins Peddling
Death-Dealing Food.

Tho epidemic OF poisoning which
broke out early in the year has now ex.
tended over large proportion Of India,
ind throughout many districts a virtual
reign of terror exists, writes a Calcutta
correspondent Of the of the New York
Tribune. At more than half the rail.
road stations huge placards are dis.
played, saying not as in America, "Be-
ware of pickpockets," "Beware Of pois-
oners." Detailed warning is also given
to travellers against accepting the hospi-
tality OF tho natives, or purchasing
drinks or eatables Of any kind. These
precautions arc rendered necessary by
the fact that organized bands Of poison.
ers have infested the railways, peddEng
trnit, cakes, drinks, etc., to passengers,
chiefly at the stations. Their wares are
poisoned, and scores OF persons have met
death at their hands. Moreover, the in
habitants Of the villages themselves have
taken up the trade, and poison those
whom they receive as guests. In these
latter cases the object appears to be
plumber, but in the former it can only be
a simple desire to murder, since poison
ers have no opportunity to rob the bodies
Of their victims. A perfect mania for
such crimes has for some time prevailed
on nearly all routes of travel throughout
India, and in spite of the police the hol-
riblc trade is still pursued.
There is also mania for poisoning
for all sorts Of purposes; for vengeance,
Tor plumber, for torture, for the fulfil
ment OF religious VOWS. In many cases
the food exposed for sale in markets has
been poisoned wholesale. The reports
of the Government chemist, who analyses
all articles seized on suspicion of poison,
are most startling in character and give
such picture of human dcpravity as can
scarcely be found elsewhere. Among the
cases was curious one reported from
SAHARA. An army blacksmith complained
that some poison, possibly corrosive sub.
Innate, was mixed with his food by his
assistant in the workshop, with the OBJ
Ject of getting promotion after his death.
He did not eat any Of the food, but only
suspected it of containing poison. On
inquiry the police found that he bad
poisoned the food himself, and then falsely
accused his fellow-workman, and a packet
OF arsenious oxide was found in his pos.
session. Arsenic, from its easy accessi.
bility, has always held the first place in
Indian criminal records, opium coming,
of course, next. Last year tho proper
ton was fifty per cent. arsenic and thirty.
one per cent. opium, and, broadly speak.
ing, the proportion is much the same fol
the past ten years.
Another substance used with deadly
intent is pounded glass, which is put in
bread, cakes and rice. One case is re.
ported from Nazik, In which q woman
confessed to having pulverized lot Of
glass jewels which she had been wearing,
and to having mixed the glass with
bread, which she gave her husband tc
eat. In the majority of instances during
the last ten years of poisoning, however
the attempt has generally proved futile
the coarseness and grittiness of the glas,
at once exciting suspicion. Evidently
the skill OF the old Yenetians in this di
rection has no parallel in India, where
indeed, glass would only seem to be usct
as the handiest article within reach ,wher
arsenic, opium and dhatura are not read
lily procurable. DIR. Lyon, in his OK
hsustive "Manual OF Medical Jurispru
dence for India" records only one fata
case of poisoning from pounded glass il
India. This was in 1876, and death en-
sued in forty -cight hours. The oddes
OF these records of DR.. Lyons's is that o
woman who swallowed quantity o
coarsely pounded glass in order to ''scou
out her stomach" She came very nea
securing out her soul as well, but will
prompt emetics and skilful treatment sh
recovered.
A favorito medium in which to ad
minister poisons is sweetmeat. In on
case man approached in an entirel,
friendly waya police Sepoy. He CAV
the Sepoy some sweetmeats, and the lat
ter began eating them, but, finding tn
material gritty, spat it out. Out OF So
grains OF this sweetmeat, there werc subse
quently extracted 610 grains of arsenou
oxide. In another instance two children
died after eating swectmeats, calml
given them by woman who had quar-
relied with their parents. A post-morten
revealed the presence of 100 grains of ar
scnious oxide in the stomach Of one o
the children. Perhaps the most remark
able of recorded cases OF this sort, how
ever, was that in which five of tho in
mates of lcper hospital in Bombay wer
suffering from irritant poisoning. Al
examination showed that some sweet
meats they had eaten contained arscniou
oxide to the extent of twelve grains ne
ounce, and some tamarind about fit
grains per pound, some of the fragment
OF arsenious oxide in this case being a
large as small beans. Inquiry revealc,
the fact that these messengers OF deaf
had been administered in the most mat
ter. of-fact way by leper who wanted t
get another leper out of the way, so tina
he might marry his wife; and as no pla
occurred to him of isolating his victim
he had coolIy to poison the whole group