The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-02


tation of the theory that driver OF
workmen must be hard, unfeeling
tyrant. He is bubbling over with
sympathy and good humor, but he
keeps huge industrial army on edge
by the force of infectious energy and
of perfect organization. A hard over
seer may make his men afraid to shirk
Mr.. Schwab has learned the nobler
and more profitable art of encourage
ing every man to do his best.
BLOOMS THAT POISON.
The majority of people think that
the tulip has no smell, and this is
true Of great number of the fashion
able variegated kinds. The old self
colored sorts, however, particularly
those of a deep crimson hue, have a
powerful odor, which is dangerous
when inhaled. This odor is of saffron
flavor and affects many people in a
very peculiar manner. If breathed
deeply, it has the effect of producing
light headedness, which continues for
some time, causing the sufferer to do
and say all manner of remarkable
and ridiculous things. It's influence
often lasts for an hour or two and is
followed by deep depression.
Another common flower whose odor
has evil properties is the poppy. This
is doubtless due to the quantity of
opium which the blossom contains.
Numbers of individuals, especially
young ladies of a highly strung tenn
perament, complain of the drowsy sem
sation which comes after walking
through field of these flowers and
afterward of violent headaches and
disinclination to move about. In
Asia Minor, where the poppy is grown
in vast quantities for the purpose of
extracting the drug, tourists are fire.
quently incapacitated for many hours
after inspecting a poppy plantation,
and two cases of death among Eng
lish tourists were traced to the same
cause last year.
All flowers grown from bulbs are
dangerous in rooms where there is
illness. Although punches of flowers
are invariably taken as presents to pa
tients, such blooms as hyacinths, lilies
of the valley, tuberoses and even daft
fodils and narcissuses should be care
fully avoided. The perfume is as
dangerous to person in a critical
state of health as dose of morphia
would be, without possessing the
benefits which that drug sometimes
confers.
Perhaps the most remarkable effect
which any garden flower has on the
human body is that which follows the
handling of the particular variety of
primula known as obconica. Expe-
rienced gardeners are always careful
to wear gloves when potting this
plant, as, should there be ever such a
slight scratch or prick on the hands
or fingers, evil results are almost GER
tain to follow.
The first noticeable result is slight
itching of the hands and arms, and
this proceeds the breaking out of
skin disease which frequently extends
to the body. 1t dies away in the au-
tumn when the leaves fall, but the
primula has by no means finished its
deadly work. When spring comes
again and the sap rises in plants and
trees, the dread disease makes its re-
appearance and continues all through
the summer.
This continues for many years, fire.
quently for the whole of the victims
lifetime, and there is no known rem
edy for it, although years of the most
rigid dieting have in some cases pro-
duced diminution in its violence.
If blood poisoning by the primula
obconica does not take this form, it
brings about the still more dreadful
erysipelas. Cases of poisoning through
eating the berries of the belladonna,
or deadly nightshade, are all too fire.
quent, but there is the gravest danger
in even handling this attractive plant.
1t is very common practice in the
country among parties of young peo-
pie to pick the berries and flick them
at each other with the fingers for
sport. Then, when heated by the fun
and fusillade, the face is sometimes
mopped with a handkerchief upon
which fingers sticky with the juice of
the berries have been wiped.
Should but just little of this get
into one of the eyes a fearful calami-
ty may ensue. Iritis, or paralysis of
the iris of the eye, which invariably
results in blindness, has been known
to come on, and against this dread
disease medical skill has as yet proved
unavailing. This, too, is in face of
the paradoxical fact that treatment
with tincture of belladonna is the one
usually adopted in the elementary
stages of iritis.
The dainty heroine who is so often
to be heard of as idly plucking to
pieces the petals of flower must be-
ware which blossoms she chooses for
the purpose. Lilies, begonias, rhodo-
dendrons and peonies are likely to
set up testers, with consequent loss
of finger nails, if treated in this way.
London AnsUers.