The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-13
FACTS AEoIT roIsONs.
Their Operation and VaIae--Errors
Made by NoveIists md Drnmatist..

From The London Mail
When Mr. Grundv made one OF the
characters in "A Debt OF Honor" die
within a Few minutes from the effects Of
taking an overdose Of chloral. ~ commit
ted a great physiological bluuder
A person with an ordinarily sound heart
almost every ones heart D. q little ur-
sound in some respect-could take a doz-
eu oycndosef aud not die for many hours:
In fact. hc would probably b. found alive
next morning. only &c .would be- impossi-
Bile 20 rouse him Choral morphine.
opium, suRhoryl-al the auaesthetics
and soporihcs and hypnotlcs-take time
as well as quantity 70 ktll An author or
dramstst who wishes haste in dis
patching hts characters must use prus-
sic acid fhydrocyanir acidt II is the
deadliest drug in the pharmacopooia.
both in Tapidity OF effect and 10 small
ness ~ the letha dose aud. acting a..
rectly on the respiratory organs kills
painlcssly and with awful audiences IN
"a very few moment
When you see the villain OF play "ad-
minister cup ~ poison ha hal" 70 his
uususpccting victim. aud thar victim
drops dead with the cap a. his hand. as
n he had received a bullet IN the brain.
YOU may write the author OF the play
down an ignoramus. no poison will do
that
strychniue runs prussit acid very close
in deadiucss. both FOR time and quantity
but acting on tho nerve ccnters lt causes
a terrible painful and hy no means instan-
tsneous end n is. 81 course. a vegetable
poison derived from nut OF bean.
the nux vomica. whereas prussic acid is
a chemically prepared arvidcial product
Both these deadly drugs are verv readily
detected not only from fheir Dhysiologi-
cal effects but a so by means % chemical
analysis In fact nowadavs 50 FAR has
chemical science progressed. that secret
poisoning IL an absolute impoesibillty-at
any rate by means 81 drugs u IS not 10
many years ago that the detection Of mr.
senic was considered something OF p feat
depending principally upon microscopical
examine tion. and therefore unreliable eX-
cept in the case OF large ovcrdOses. when
sufficient unaEsimiiated psrsicles remain
ed FOR recognition. Nowadays forty
thousandth part Of q grain iu ne human
body can be idcnuhed With absolute cer-
tainty and thc utmost ease by chemical
analysis. ty means o. Mafah's Or Rensch's
tests
The most dinlcul' drug 10 Do detected
chemically is atropin the active principle
Of beiadonna which is Of comse. a
derivstivc Of che deadly nightshade II 49,.
however. very fortunately. unmistakanle
IN its physiological effects. and although
90 Is dimcuit 20 recognize 20 chemically,
Il Is by no means impossible lp Old times
many OF the vegetable polsons were I'M
detectahle especially beiladorua. digitahs
ffrom the foxglove. n very deadly drug.
ana strephanihus from the seed Of dnnde.
ion) The last named g. one of the IA
nous South American poisuns that figure
20 largely IN romance ard is tho active
principle IN most arrow and dart poisons.
for which purpose strychninc Is olso
largely used
Indian ind south American poisons have
for so .ong had sIch hold ~ picturesque
ness surrounding them that % IL almost
"a act Of vandalism 20 shatter their
claim 20 distinction. IN these unitarian
DAYS they are all heduled in the Brflsh
pharmncopocla and when you read %
IAN obscure Indian poison YOU may con
sole yourself with the reflection tnhs there
ore plenty o. people 10 whom its deteo-
zion would offer no dim suities whatever.
The only form % poison which YOU can
use upon your friends with any chance
%. the analyst no. being able % state
with absolute certainty IN whnt form o.
aas administered is an animal Que Hnd
rot n druE-eifher a bactcrioloRlcal toxin
which you will dnd costly either 10 pro-
duce or 90 purchase. and dlhicuit 10 ai-
Minister or some Of the ptomaines. the
p0isons that exist IN pusrid and purifying
FISH and meat These you will not be- able
go get any sane person 70 take owing 20
the offensive smell ard taste % any food
90 which thov ore present. 80 that. as
already stated. secret poisonins may now
De reckorcd a ching Of the past one or
The lOat arts.
But TO return 70 drugs All drurs vary
IN their action on different people. There
are, 0s u Is put rather more scientin-