New-York tribune., 1900-09-23
MAKING POISONS.
EMPLOYEES WHO TAKE THEIR LIVES IN
THEIR HANDS
HANDS

THEIR HANDS
From The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
II IS not generally known that Cincinnati has
within her confines q half dozen factories that
manufacture every day enough deadly ro5s0Uz
20 ahnlhl-ate the entire population of the city
These factories are carefully guarded from all
lntruders, and even the employees have to be
sklued IN their work and be well aware of the
RISK they take before aCrnittance is granted.
some OF the pOISOns are so deadly that iDhaI-
ing the fumes that arise from their manu-
IacJure would mean certain death. This is
Gspecldlly the case with anhydrOus acid. a
drug that IS never placed on the market in its
pure state. and even in the chemists laboratory
il Is handled with all the care that would be
this acid should escape the chemist would never
1--we 10 tell the tale. The man who discovered it
was killed by inhaling its fumes, and other
men have met similar deaths
Probably the most dangerous Of the drugs
manufactured here is the cyanide of potassium
us Iumes are SAID not 10 be poisonous, and
can work in the room where il is manufactured
without fear except that he must not touch It.
The slightest quantity Of the poison in its pure
state would kill instantly if swallowed The
tuTnes arising from il have rather a pleasant
odor. and IL IS said that it produces a witching
effect upon the WOrkmen. The finished poison
looks like crysJalliZed sugar, and as you gaze
on II and smell the fascinating odor there is a
strong temptation TO taste it. The fascination
= proDapIy much Ike that which draws
over d steep precIpIce. At any rate, the attrac-
uon 20 taste OF the poison Is so well recognized
mat workman is never allowed 20 remain
alone in the room where it is being manu-
facJured.
Nitric and suIphuric acids are poisons equally
fearful IN their results when once liberated.
These poisons eat away and through almost
anything, and they can only be kept in carboys.
hen one Of these caTboys is broken the factory
IS doomed The acid spreads around and begins
10 eat into everything il touches, and inciden-
tally sets everything indammable on fire. To
toI-Vcl the aclC or 10 pour anything over il TO
cOunJeract its effects Is ar impossibIity As il
burns and spreads around, its fumes become
deadly IN their effect and ffremer attenpting
h- "a h. flrrU-
do not Kill al once. but if bTeathed for twenty
tour hours they poison the system and death
The fumes Of corrosive subIimate are as
deadly as almost any poison, and in factories
where the drug is made the greatest care IS
used 10 prevent them from esca ping
There are many other pOisons made for COM
mercial use that are only little less powerful.
but nearly all OF them are diluted when placed
on the market. Some Of these are yellow
prussiate IF potash nitrate of silver acetate of
lead and copper. ferrocyanide Of potash, white
and red lead and many other pOisons. BY
their being diluted the danger Of using and
handling Is minimIZed
There is one factory in Cincinnati that does
a thriving business securing nitrate Of silver
from cast of photographers stock, and still
another that makes the drug in crude way.
The proprietor Of the latter establishment IS
a native Of Switzerland and the garret Of his
house IS his workshop Some time ago he
overcome by the fumes from his crucibles and
came near dying. He had met with young
German learning the trade and the apprentice
suddenly quit his job when he discovered that
his skin was turning blush hue.
The accidents that have resulted from han
ding this class Of p0sOns are many. Several
years ago q carboy Of nitric acid was acciden-
tally broken in factory in Eastern-ave., and
the acid began 10 have its way without OppOsi-
ton Il soon started the interior Of the factory
fire. and il was eating its way into ad
joining room where large quantities Of other
poisOnS were stored. Several wOrkmen VOlun-
teered 10 put out the flames and 10 check the
acid in its deadly work. Several hours were
occupied before they succeeded. and when mat
ters seemed all right they returned home The
next day all sick. and one Of the men
died. the fumes Of the acid having been inhaled
and enough Of the poison absorbed 10 cause
death
Since the business offices Of the Standard Oil
Company were centred in Cleveland many Of
Cincirnati's factories for the manufacture of
poison have been moved to the Forest City. but
there are still enough here TO make good
IL