St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-10-08
pToMAlNR POISONING.
Products oe DeeeADositisa In Tasa-
ted Fooa which Threaeen Hu-
man Life.

In these days. WHEN preserved pro-
visions are being 50 largely manufae-
tured to meet the equally large de
mand for such articles Of diet. and
when, by the aid of the refrigerator,
we are supplied with meat all the WAY
from the antipodes, we hnd that we
have a new danger to face. This u the
liability. owing to accident or neglect
during the preserving process or dur
inR transit, Of the food changing foI
the worse. or. n we say. going bad.
Unfortunately. such tainted food II
not readily detected, and the uncon'
scious consumer in. therefore. open to
the risk OF being unswares seriously Of
fatally poisoned.
Tainted food contains the producti
of decomposition which are technical
ly known n ptomaines- Beyond the
fact that some of these ptomaines are
highly poisonous, very little else !,
known about them. They are still the
subject Of investigation, and SO far We
are only able to gather that Ptomainea
are alkaloidal in character. and are
the active principles Of animal tissue
in the same way n such alkalofdx -
quinine and other similar drugs are
the active principles Of the cinchons
and other plants.
The symptoms Of ptomaine poison
ing may be acute, or they may be
vague and underlined. When acute. the
symptoms usually set In . few hours
after partaking of the tainted food.
The patient complains of nausea. or
feels faint. Headache usually accom-
panies the nausea. which terminates
in a fit or fits Of vomiting. This sick
ness is often very violent and uncon-
trollable. The patient complains OF
great pain in the abdomen. and moth
ing appears to relieve this distressing
symptom. Meantime the temperature
and pulse rise. and all the symptoms
increase in intensity. Distressing
retching takes the place Of sickness.
and not infrequently the patients
aspect Is that Of one In great agony.
But every one Of these symptoms may
differ in quality and intensity In diff
ferent eases, 80 that II Il only the ex.
perienced eye that can. from survey
Of the whole symptoms. recognize the
case n one Of evident ptomalne poi
soning.
Sometimes this poisoning il slow
the symptoms are not violent; the pa
tient complains Of lassitude and weak
ness. There Is also loss of appetite
and in consequence the patient get
rapidly weaker. In few days rasl
may break ont over the body. Tht
character OF this rash varies, and !,
usually a source Of much iudecision n
to the real cause Of the Illness. Otter
boils break out ON the face and meek
and this in an adult ought to indicate
probable poisoning Of some sort. No
infrequently ptomaine poisoning from
the outset shows no other symptou
than that Of loss Of strength. followes
slowly by loss of consciousness, de
lirium and death. Al rule. the rea
cause Of such slower cases II not rec
ognized. They occur among the poor
and especially smong those given Il
intemperancs and loafng Such indi
viduals are not overcareful what they
eat to satisfy :he craving for hunger
and therefore frequently fall victim.
to this poison. Very little care Is takes
to discover. or, rather to, trace. ths
cause Of illness in such people. II !,
not unnaturally put down to the vic
TINS bad habits and incorporate liv
ing.-Household Words.