Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-04
NOT MANY DEADLY PoIS0NS
Only One and sixty Chased
by scientists as Quickly Fatal
Drugs.

''There are only about le0 deadly poisons
known to science" said al expert in poison
lore the other day. "Of these 100 quickly
fatal drugs, one-third are alkaloids, and
more than a score are complicated animal
and vegetable poisons not yet fully classl-
fled. Nearly half of the total number OF
known polsons are rarities-not
things that ever get into the coroners'
reports. OF these leo kinds Of poison, 10
per cent act directly on the brain or on
the spinal cord. either by bringing on un-
consciousness or by stimulating the mind
to such an extent that delirium follows,
81 per cent affect the respiration and
only a little more than 4 per cent the
heart primarily. Nearly 40 per cent are
~irritant ~poisons. and the rest have a
mixed action on the human body. Ar
senic, for example, produces almost the
same symptoms as Asiatic cholera, phos-
phorus produces ~jaundiee and ~strychnine's
effects resemble a case Of lockjaw. All
these symptoms, of course. are those that
precede death when a fatal dose has been
taken.
"A good many Of these poisons are dan
gerous to manufacture. Mercuric methide,
for instance, brings madness to those who
work too long at making II. A gas rises
from It that ia not Immediately fatal. but
which causes temporary insanity, which
may, OF course, become permanent.
Potassium bichromate is another dam
gerous chemical, and one that Is used in
large quantities commercially. The work.
men who breathe In the dust that rises
from the manufacture OF this deadly pol
son finally lose their noses. For that rea-
son those who work over this chemical
have their faces protected by respirators.
Even then the dust Is so fine and insidious
that they do not escape entirely, and
many suffer from painful affections Of the
skin. The horses that work about the
factory where this potAssio bichromate is
made on a large scale are mostly lame.
The dust gets into their hoofs and causes
sores. Cyanide OF potassium looks so much
like sugar that the workmen in the fac
tories where It is made keep their mouths
bandaged to help them resist the tempta-
ton TO eat some OF II. A pinch OF this
poison is fatal instantly. as everyone
knows. 1t is used in the separation of
gold from the other metals with which II
II found In the earth. and thousands OF
tons OF this particularly deadly poison are
employed for that purpose every year all
over the world.
Some of these poisons have been known
for ages. PTussic acid. then called the
poison OF the peach was used by the
Egyptians before the pyramids were built.
They were the first 20 distiH the poison
from peach pits. Corrosive subllmate was
one Of the favorlte poisons Of Charles TX
Of France. He Offered a large prize for
anyone who would find an anudote for It.
A physician came 10 him one day to claim
tho reward. The king sent for his cook,
who had burned the meat that day, and
made him take a fatal dose OF corrosive
subiimats. The antidote was administered
Immediately, but the cook died. nowith-
standing. The king had the doctor taken
out and hanged, 70 his spirit followed tbs
cooks In less than = quarter Of ~ hour"
New York PresA