The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-13

a solution OF something Just Is deadly IS
the fumes to be guarded against though
OF neutralizing tendency. Thus. ammo
MIA is neutTalized with acetic or wood vim
esar. itself deadly poison in certain
forms.
Some poisons are manufactured under an
iron hood" or in a little room which the
workmen never enter while the process is
going on This hood has one opening set
with glass at about the level of the eyes,
through which he may watch the process
and see TO do his part, and another not
fitted with glass, near the floor, through
which tools for handling the stuff can be
thrust. the top of the hood, or room, is
open to the air through a chimney, or 9TH
erwise, and q constant draught is kept up
by the heat of the operation, If there be
sufficient, and by fans if there isn't, 80
that all the poisonous smells and vapors
are carried into the open. There they mix
with air so as to lose their deadly quail
ties, and, in fact. rarely descend to earth
at all, though there are exceptions in some
establishments, such as ore-reducing con-
Germs, which use quantities of cyanide and
other extremely deadly compounds.
subtle McrcuriaI Gases.
IL is to aid in getting rid of the danger
Gus gases that the actual manufacture of
pOisons is carried forward usually in the
top story, the product descending from
the street, where the boxing and shipping
is done.
Mercurial poisons are the most danger
Gus to make. and no amount of precau-
lions can render their manufacture safe.
The subtle Vapors of mercury cannot be
carried away entirely by means of the
hood, nor can they be neutralized by any
type of inhaler yet discovered.
Altogether the worst mercurial com
pound is bichloride of mercury, commonly
known as corrosive sublimate. The fumes
of this poison produce the most painful
results in a short time. In ten minutes
there is running of the eyes, nose and
mouth; great desire to eXpectorate follows,
and then shiverng, nausea and headache
There is high fever, and the finger nails
turn blue. Death surely follows lack of
speedy relief. and the precautions taken
TO guard against the escape of the fumes
are exceedingly elaborate. A room where
corrosive sublimate is made looks Ike an
alchemists laboratory.
Compounds of phosphorus are hard to
manage likewise, hence the many stories
printed and told of necrosis of rapid de-
cay of the teeth and bones among en-
ployes of match factories.
Quinine comes from Peruvian bark. the
grinding of which is going on increasingly
in a big factory across the river. Eaten
in quantities such as would be delicious
NCAC TIC ouDotdilCS powdered sugar, winch
1T resembles greatly, quinine kills Qui-
nine is of much the same appearance as
atropine, another vegetable substance. and
well-known physician of New York
who visited the works came near losing
his life the other day owing to his inabil-
ity TO distinguish them apart
Doctors Narrow Escape.
Two great bins of wonderfully attractive
looking crystallzed powders were shown
- i'm
pointing to couple of tons of the powder
which conquers fevers and ague The doc
tor stood next to another bin also contain
ing lovely crystallized powder, and he
put forth his moistened finger to take "A
taste of the quinine. The guide stood
some feet away but with a cry he rush
ed forward, seized the doctor by the arm
and dashed his hand aside, barely in time
to prevent his tasting the powder
That is atropine. DOCTOR" he said. gasp
ing, not quiuine.''
Even the doctor turned pale for the taste
of atropine he narrowly escaped would
have meant funeral for an eminent ply
stefan.
Danger from arsenical poisoning and lead
poisoning comes mainly from floating par
ticles in the air. Workmen are governed
by the strictest imaginable rules in ham
ding these things, and their EMPLOYERS de-
clare they cannot be injured if they live
up to the rules, though the State Board
of Health does not agree with them IN
every respect In the paint-making shops.
many of which are poison factories as
surely as are the chemical works. the ONLY
precaution insisted upon is perfect clean
linness the workmen being obliged at the
end of the days work 10 wash thorough
ly with 'paper-makers soap" Men deal
ing with lead compounds in the chemical
works are cautioned to handle them with
little scoops always, and never the bare
hands. When Their is lead sickness in
these Places the employers say they know
for certainty this rule has been broken.
Cyanide of potassium is peculiarly dan
gerous. Though it does not exhale deadly
fumes, it kills almost as suddenly as prus-
sic acid if eaten. 1t is especially pretty
to look at, and its smell is decidedly
agreeable Men who have worked about
it declare that this smell creates an al
most uncomfortable appetite for the cyan
ide itself, and workmen employed together
are obliged to watch one another TO pre-
vent involuntary suicide.