The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-27
There Is a Horrible Side rs Well
as a Pleasing One.
a Habit That Prevails Very Extensively on the
Continent - The Dangerous Practice
Greatly on the Increase.

On this account many young ladies make
use of the dangerous arsenic that they may
make themselves attractive in the eyes of
the opposite sex, and it is really astonishing
with what favorable results their efforts are
attended. The second aim of the poison
eaters is to improve their breathing capaci-
ties and render respiration easier With
this object in view the practice of eating
arsenic is almost universal among the peas
antry of the mountainous districts of Aus
tria, Hungary and France and they ascend
with ease heights which they could only
otherwise climb with great distress to the
chest.
The dose of arsenic with which the poi
son-eaters begin consists, according to the
confessions of some of them, of piece the
size OF a lentil. which i'll weight would be
rather less than half 4 grain. To this
quantity, says the London Standard, which
they take fasting several mornings in the
week, they confne themselves for a con-
siderable time, and then gradually aud very
carefully they increase the dose according
to the effect produced. Ii is well to observe
that the symptoms of chronic arsenical
poison never show themselves in individu-
ais who adapt the dose to their conStitu-
ton, even though that dose should be COLI
siderable. 1t is not less worthy of remark,
however, that if from any cause the peril
Gus indulgence is stopped, symptoms of i'll
ness are sure TO appear, which nave the
closest resemblance to those produced by
poisoning from arsenic. These symptoms
consist principally in a feeling of general
discomfort, attended by
PERFECT INDIFFERENCE
To all surrounding persons and things,
great personal anxiety and number of dis
fFpa the f
i've organs, ard for all these symptoms
there is but one remedy-a return 10 the
enjoyment of arsenic.
According to inquiries made on the sub
ject, il would seem that the habit OF eating
arsenic has not grown into passion, as is
the case with the opium eaters in the East,
the chewers of the betel-nut in India and
Polynesia, and of the coca tree among the
natives OF Peru. When once commenced,
however, it becomes necessity.
Some person use subimate of quicksilver
in the same way. There is an authenticated
case of great opium-eater who daily con.
sumed the enormous quanty OF forty grains
of corrosive sublimate with his opium. In
the mountainous parts OF Peru eaters of
corrosive sublimate are frequently met
with, and IN Bolivia this practice is still
more frequent, and the poison is openly
sold in the markets. These facts are inter
esting as referring to poisons of a quick
and deadly nature. Our ordinary "indul-
gences" in this country are the same in
kind, though not In degree, for we are all
p0ison-eaters. To say nothing of our
opium and alcohol consumers, our
teetotallers are delighted with the brisk
ness and sparkle of spring water, although
these qualities indicate the presence
of carbOnic acid or fixed air. lu the same
manner few persons will object to drop or
two of the frightful corrosive sulphurlc
acid (yitrlOD in a glass of water, to which it
ttt1Ytf ipn fnG a n asst
most of us have, at some period or other in
our lives, imbbed prussic acid. arsenic and
other deadly pOisons under the order of the
physician, or tile first Of these in the more
pleasing form of confectionery.
Arsenic is said to be as harmless as Il
glass OF wine in the quantity of one-six
teenth part of a grain, and in the cure of
agues ii is so certain in its effects that the
French Directory once issued an edct to
the surgeons OF the italian army, under
pain of military punishment, to Danish that
complaint at two or three days notice from
among the vast numbers of soldiers who
were languiShing under it in the marshes of
LOmbardy. 1t would appear that no poison
taken
IN SMALL AND DILUTED DOSES
Is Immediately hurtful. and tile same -thin &
may be said OIL other ugentS. The tap of a
fan, for instance, is a blow, and so is the
stroke of club; but the one gives an
agreeable sensation and the other tells the
reel lent to The ground. In like manner
the analogy holds good between the distri-
button OF blow over a comparatively large
portion OF the surface OF the body and the
diIuton or distribution Of the particles of
a poison.
The misfortune, however, is that poisons
swallowed for the sake of the agreeable
sensations they occasion owe this effect to
their action III on the nervous system, and
action must be kept up by a constantly in
creaSing dose till the constitution is ire
medically injured. In the case of arsenic
so long as the excitement is undiminished
all is apparently well, but the point is at
length reached when TO proceed or to turn
back is alike death The moment the desc
is diminished or entirely Withdrawn Symp-
toms Of poison appear and the victim per-
ishes because he has shrunk from killing
himself. 1t is just so when the stimulant is
alcohol
The morning experience of the drinker
prOpnesles on every succeeding occasion Of
the fate that awaits him. 1t may be pleas
ant to get intoxicated, but to get sober is
horror The time comes, however, when
the pleasure is at an end and the horror
alone remains. When the habitual stimulus
reaches its highest and the undermined
constitution can stand no more, then comes
the reaction. Ii the excitement could 90 on
ad iniinitum the prognoSis would be differ
ent, but the poison symptoms appear as
without producing instant death, and the
drunkard dies for the want of drink. As
for arsenic-eating, it is to be devoutly
hoped that it will never be added to tho
madnesseS OF our country, but there is I'M
fortunately little room for doubt that the
dreadful practice is gaining ground among
US. Medical men, who have better oppor-
tunities Of judging and knowing of these
things than most people, assure us that 1t is
so. and unfortunately certain journals have
given publicity TO a paragraph describing
the agreeable phases of the practice without
mentioning
ITS SHOCKING RESULTS.
An individual deliberately condemning
himself to deyour this horrible poison, on
an increasing scale during his whole life,
places himself in the certain position that
if at any time. through accident, necessity,
or other cause, he holds his hand he must
die the most agonizing of all deaths! The
number OF deaths In consequence Of the
immoderate enjoyment of arsenic is not in
considerable where the practice largely
prevails, particularly among the young.
and this is largely the case in Continental
countries. Every priest who has the cure
of souls in those districts where the abuse
prevails could tell of such tragedies. The
arsenc-eater always conceals as much as
possible the enjoyment of this dangerous
poison, and generally speaking, IL is only
the confessional or the deatnbed that raises
the veil from the terrible secret.
The use of arsenic is of everyday occur
renee among horse dealers and coachmen.
who administer it regularly to the horses
for the purpose of improving their appear
ance. They either shake it in pulyerized
state among the corn or they tie piece the
size of pea in a piece of linen, which they
fasten to the curb when the horse is har-
messed, and the saliva of the animal soon
dissolves it. The sleek, round, shiny ap-
pearance of carriage-horses, and especially
the mucb-admired foaming at the mouth, is
the result of this arsenic feeding, tor arsenic
produces an increased salvation. 1t is a
common practice for farm servants to s,rew
piece of arsenic on the last feed of hay be-
fore going up steep road. This Is done
for years without the least unfavorable re-
suit; but should the horse fall into the
hands of another owner, who withholds the
arsenic, he loses flesh Immediately, is no
longer lively, and even with the best of
feeding there is no possibility of restoring
him to his former sleek appearance. The
: effect of arsenic-eatiDg is practically the
same upon human beings; it pleases for a
time, but in the end must prove a ruinous
and fatal habit. 1t Is to be hoped that
those who have commenced or are tempted
to experiment with this injurious practice
will nausa hpforn ooinU fnrfhar "a lii