Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18
MAKING OF DEADLY DRUGS
Science Has Lessened the Dangers of Poison
ing During the Process.
The Manufacture of Matches IL No
Longer observation-disclosures and
Nitric Acid the Most Fatal.
From the Baltimore American.


some of the greatest thinkers for purposes
far removed from the primary object-that
of furnishing entertainment and recreation.
The lola creations, which have been con-
demned by many who acknowledge the
genius of the writer, and which are on the
index expurgatorius of the United Sunday
School librarians of the United States, have
undoubtedly been of service by presenting
a series of pictures of the consequence
of vice, not overdrawn, but sufficiently
realistic to brighten many a man and wo-
back into the straight and narrow
path from which they should never have
strayed. The Jules Verne novels have
awakened an interest in science among the
young which thousands of text books nave
failed to inspire. and his dream OF the
Nautilus has already been partially real
lied, while the famous tour of the world
in eighty days by Mr.. Phineas Fogg has
been lowered a score Of times. victor
Hugo's great treatise on sewage embodied
in Les Miserables" was not wholly with
cut effect. since tie sewage of Paris Is now
pumped to Il reservoir on top OF "a MIL IN
the environs of Paris, and has been the
means of converting arid waste into
the most fertile trucking region in all
France, while the public have benefited
through the establishment of a handsome
park. Dickens stories eXerted strong
influence in bringing about the reformation
of the poor laws of his native country. and
of putting an end to the Yorkshire
schools"
unon toiling humanity however was the
searchlight thrown upon the deadly
trades by Charles Reade. His masterpiece
Put Yourself in His Place, which gave
tho oenarai nuhIic an insight into the dan
GERS which beset every workman who
comes in contact with lead in any of its
forms was of inestimable value. In these
enlightened DAYS to point out an evil is to
remedy il where a remedy is possible. The
agitation in favor of concerted action on
the mart of manufacturers which should
lessen the danger of poison from this source
snread through all the trades
NIatchuaILinr once the most fatal of all
trades entrance into which meant certain
death. and death in its most horrible forms.
urithi, a Few years is no longer unhealth-
fII pbosnhoric noisoning the great cause
Of noortoIitv is now only possible through
tba caraIasSness of the operative Necrosis
or rottine Of the hone tissues which was
tbe Cbiaf svmntom Of The progress of phos-
r,borir loiSoninp ia no longer to he seen
in match factories proper regard Cor
sanitary Laws and the 11se of special appa-
,a+I,c intended ia carry off the fumes have
tro,,gb+ ms oknut So II is i'm the manu-
facfIIra of other deadly chemical prepara-
lions
In Baltimore some of the deadliest drugs
l,nov-n ia medical science are manufactured
In great quantities and with entire safety
TO The work people and the community at
large.
IIydrocyanic acid for example which is
used in minute quantities by physicians for
many nurnosas * largely manufactured
here This. the most potent of all the acid
poisons is so deadly that it's commercial
form which contains but = per cent of
he acid in solution in water, is not OBJ
tainabIe from the chemist except after the
most rigid examination of the purchaser
A drop of this fluid hypodermically injected
vorIId result in instant death The inhala-
ton Of the prre acid which is gaseous in
form would have the same effect. The
rdnr Of an ~ ner cont solution would he
I,racticaIII- as fatal Vet this is the SUBJ
stance which in minute quantities. gives
ife odor tn the peacb kernel The man who
discovered il paid for his knowledge with
his life ewing from inhalation II is now
Droduced i'm alright retOrts and receivers
and hoe is no oCcasto for the workman
To come in contact with anv of the acids
To The trade it is known as prussic acid
Next to prussic acid so far as Baltimore
manufactures 90 come the various COM
noi1rds of conner all of which are deadly
SulphlIric acid the most important acid of
commerce as its potency as reagent
makes + INDISPENSABLE in manufacturing,
is made here. While of greater power, IL
is NOT nearly so dangerous as nitric acid
which is almost equally important but
which is volatile and therefore, more to
Re feared when a carbov Of this stuff
bursts The men desert the building
A story is told which illustrates the
danger from nitric acid The incident oc-
,urred more than a wear ago hut il Is sttl
toIl.od Of in The trade even though il han
Med eIseubere
Tbroupb the caraIessness of a workman
in the shinnirg department a CarbOy was
Iroilan All +be ,nar in the department de-
narted uithout ceremony and for a little
Zoo no. enc annroached tho acid II soread
10 ~, tha apar md over a Int Of saw
49, "pU'd '. nooi1 II aae observed that the
o-.i,,-+ T.es e,onI5cring T. wag then seen
80 ,,r,l.se sanna,birg ~ drne the entire
- n.n,,1d he h,r1ed not oply causing
MoIhS mou,o 49, ne ~, h,,t tbrnwino hiIn
IL - 49,, o,,t Of crnnlovmant -Four
- .r1,InTod in tho acid denartment vol
r,ii ~ M, ont tbe fra and uara al
, uiIaee 81 81 ~ ~ ottn,nnt in wbicb tbav
lo"eu 20 ma i1 ~ "a snnaJiIIl NO.
80 80 - % tha rnon, annarcntlv nm
ny en- ~ ~ ,,io,, S,,r,as ono ~ tno
aIte 5i ~ tbnir Unrk and inc others
nESui nm. .; 80 rs w. ra.t eoing to their
MnoSe 'ailie 20 ,otbi,r ont IF III way had