The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-18

good things Of the world, the flesh and
the devil. He evidently desires not to
investigates the novelties of the "un-
discovered country from whose bourne
no traveller returns" To the Teutontc
mind the passing seems to be but rest.
VINO can devise more f1endish hor-
r1ble, agonizing death than by carbolic
acid? 1t is a remarkable thing that it
Is the only drug on the shelves Of the
druggist that is known by an incorrect
term. 1t is, in point Of fact, not an
acid at all. 1t has absolutely no acidic
characteristics But it is caustic, acrid
and pungent-aH peculiarities of the
acid family of chemicals. Neither is
1t the antithesis of acid, that is, Of the
alkalt family. 1t is what is known,
technically, as a hydro carbon, pos
sessing the qualities of being strictly
neutral. 1t is known to chemists as
"phenylio alcohol" "phenic acid"
'phenyoP' and a multitude of other
names; but, defined for the benefit of
the layman, 1T is perhaps best described
as an energetic caustic." To those
who have come in contact with the fiery
qualities there is little doubt left Of
it's energy.
TO the writer a we'll known physf-
clan of ST. Paul described wildly all
the results Of carbolic acid poisoning
as felt by himself after drinking the
OlSLlil60
water. He said:
1T was when 1 was doing laboratory
work in the health department Of st.
Paul that I had this very disagree
able experience.
How Carbolic Acid Sets on Stomach.
"Over We sink we used to keen a
large jar of distilled water and along
side 1t was a similar jar containing a
. per cent solution Of carbolic acid.
They were both equipped with siphons
OF like nature and appearance and in
all ways were cOunterparts, and this
accounts for the experience.
"One day the city water was very
roily and I did not feel like drinking
1t, SO / decided to use that from the
distilled water jar. Unthinkingly, 1
opened the pinchcock on the carbolic
acid siphon and took a large mouthfu1
of 1T. Luckily l had no time to swallow
it before detecting my mistake, and
rushing to bottle of alcohol took a
great mouthful Of 1t and allowed it to
remain there for some time. 1t is the
greatest, indeed the only real antidote
for carbolic acid poisoning known.
BY the way, it is used in a strange
manner by the German surgeons. When
they desire, as surgeons so often do,
to disinfect their hands they plunge
them into bath of pure carbolic acid
ana Inon INTO DaIn OF absolute aICO-
hol. 1t is done so quickly that the
carbolic acid has no time to act-the
alcohol neutralizing its effect faster
than it can act upon the flesh; but all
traces of the disease germs of which
they wished to rid themselves are gone
Immediately after I had taken the
alcohol I felt the strangest sensation
clear down past my aesophagus to the
pit of my stomach. The deadly stuff
had penetrated through the membranes
to the blood and in that short space of
time had been distributed all through
my system by the action of the heart
1t is almost impossible to believe that
such could be done, but it is true. And
for days and days I felt it in my
mouth, could tell it's tingling in my
blood, and in my very bones. And that
was but per cent solution-imagine.
only five parts of acid in ninety-fi five of
water! What must it be when one gets
the benefit of q full strength solution?"
In view of the great increase of the
number of suicide cases in the land
the medical associations all over the
country are taking active measures to