Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-07-13
PAIN IN DEATH BY ACIDS.
CONCLUSIONS ARE HEARTRENDING
BURNS LEAVE UGLY SCARS
SUCCESS UNCERTAIN. z
MILWAUKEE HAS RECORD.
Is Seventh City in Country in Per Cent.
of Suicides-Carbolic is Frightful
But Often Used.

What are the thoughts of the unhappy
9eH-destroyer as he or she desperately at
tempts to extinguish the flame of life
by swallowing a quantity of deadly poi
son? Physicians say that nearly every
such person was at the time of commit
ting the act, temporarily insane, and felt
not the torture of the burning acid unless
the pain was so prolonged as to give the
mind time 10 regain its normal state.
Many Drink Liquid Poison.
The horrible gripping torture of death
by arsenical poison is undoubtedly not
felt by many who have chosen this means
OF ending their existence, but many, Il
great many, are brought to their normal
state of mind by the dreadful pain, and
awaken only to suffer agonies, and asct
tain, though medical advice be near,
that their death is inevitable.
The burns of carbolic acid, a veritable
living fire. leave traces on the mouth
and lips of many an unhappy one who
has been saved by the prOtapt action OF
physicians, and bear awful witness of
the evil power of this most convenient
means OF taking ones life.
Carbolic Burns Fearfully.
Death by carbolic acid poisoning is
often averted by the modern methods of
quick conveyance to a hospital where
the best treatment may be given, and
doubtless few of those who have tried
this form of ending their life while
in a sane state and have recovered,
try it again when the memory of hours
of suffering from the after effects of the
burning acid comes to their mind.
Those, unfortunates who by some chance
remain undiscovered long enough after
taking the acid so that it has time to
cause fatal effects usually feel little PAIN,
but these are not the majority. 1t is not
human for a person to take his life hid
den away from all sight unless he be in
sane or suffering from some sorrow
which he only is at fault for. 1t he
chooses death By his own hand as the
result of quarrel with some one or
through some fancied injury committed
by another, his mate love for the dra-
matte in life is enough to make him
commit the act in the presence of the
person who wronged him or before 9th.
ers and thus make public the story OF
his life.
Agony Comes on Recovery.
1t is after medical aid has been adj
vanced to the suicide that the suffering
commences. The taking of carbolic acid
usually is not painful for it produces in
strong doses, almost instant uncol-
seriousness. Medical aid, however,
brings the self-murderer back to his
senses and then he is punished for his
awful folly.
The after effects of acid poisoning are
not the least of the troubles of the
would-be suicide The acid has de-
stroyed or partially destroyed the It's
sues of the stomach, the lining which
plays such an important part in the
digestion of the food which keeps up
life. These effects may be diminished
1, A.
the acid, but in many cases, in most
cases, the effects of the acid will cause
indigestion, disease, and often even after
the lapse of many years, an untimely
death.
Physical Effects Horrible.
Large doses of carbolic acid have been
known to produce death in three or
four minutes. Few, however. have been
known to take large doses, for the burn
ing acid has caused them to drop the bot
tie from their nerveless fingers before a
large amount has been swallowed or,
the acid itself has been so diluted that
it requires more than the unhappy wretch
has prepared
In the state of mind of a self murderer
usually the hands tremble violently and
acid is spilled over the hands and Inns.
If the body lies undiscovered The acid
burns deeply into the flesh The skin
becomes first red and then white and
dead. If the patient RECEIVERS, the skin
and flesh slough off and a horrible scar
which can never he erased is left as a
sad reminder Of the attempt. If the
patient is discovered before the acid has
eaten deeply and caused the skin to
whiten, it may be wiped away and the
spots may in time return to the normal
color withonII. iea.yyiiIng a scar.
Other Antiseptics Are Better.
e
about the home has been ct by MANY
who have taken it by mistake for some
medicine. or whose innocent children
have unfortunately played with the hot
tie of liquid ire and suffered an awful
death. Druggists will not sell carbolic
acid TO children. Its sale is more extern
sive than other poiSOnS Of far less dam
aging nature. however, because its use
in medicine Is that of a common anti
septic.
Heads of families should be educated
TO the fact that there are many antiSeD-
ties far more useful and less dangerous.
One of these is peroxide of hydrogen.
dioxogen as II is known to the trade,
the symbol of which Is H-2 o.. indi-
eating that il possesses one atom more
of oxygen than does water. The use Of
this antiSeptic is happily becoming more
common. 1t does not attack live or well
tissues hut will destroy dead or slough
lnG matter only. IaKen internally 1t is
used rs a cure for dyspepsia. while used
as tooth wash il removes dead and de-
caying matter readily and is not harmful
Give Commissions and Paralysis.
Poisoning by arsenic is perhaps Of
all the poisonS the most painful The pa
tient goes from one commission into an
other Retching and vomiting follow.
but the affect upon the stomach has been
such that the pains continue even after.
the greater part of the poison has been
removed by nature. The patients hor-
rible gripping and contortions are fearful
to behold. Death will ensue after hours
of suffering unless the act has been dis
covered and aid extended very soon after
the poison has been taken.
Prussic acid, a poison difficult TO OBJ
tain, produces almost instant death if
taken in sufficiently large doses, and a
large dose of prussic acid means a very
small one as compared to other poisons.
Half a grain will kill a dog Prussic
acid produces a complete paralysis of
the entire system. the machinery of the
human form stops with jolt, the heart
ceases beating. the nerves are dead to
all feeling and the patient has ceased
to live. There is no time for medical aid