The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-09-15
ARSENIC Is LIKE FLEAs ON THE DOG

A wee bit Of arsenic 10 normally present In
tho body. A trace OF arsenic To- constantly OK
creted through tho kidneys. Probably O minute
quantity OF arsenic In one form or another 10
essential In human nutrition. It resembles heas
on a dog, as Josh Billings regarded that prob.
lem. But when O little too much arsenic gets
into the system II causes bizarre effects. Here
are somc OF the Manifestations OF chronic ar.
senic poisoning:
many wiseacres like to call neuritis. but the
real thing, recurring or intraetable chronie
eczema or similar skin trouble, red injected
eyelid Innings and pufiness OF the eyclids, In.
expleable numbness or paress (weakness) OF
arm or leg or some smaller muscle group. o
Yas %a assve s se
tress and colicky pains, q peculiar waxy pallor.
perhaps an onion or garlic odor about the skin,
sweat or breath.
In. several cases on record Il has seemed that
chronic arsenic poisoning was the cause OF
| Raynauds affection-"dead fingers" At any
rate, the victims found lasting relief from the
attacks after they were removed from tho ar
senical environment or received proper treat.
| ment for arsenic poisoning
| An unconsidered source Of chronic arsenic
poisoning 10 the otherwise healthful and COM
mendable practice Of eating fresh fruit skins
| and~all or eating berrieg cherries, grapes, etc,
without careful washing. The objection y that
such fruit may carry considerable quantities OF
inseoticIde spray. This might not BE- q any sig:
In the a'e q on
where one Is In tho habit OF eating an apple a
day or anything like that Keep right on eating
plenty OF apples. cherries. berries or what have
| you. but see that they are thoroughly washed
before you eat them. OF course, mere washing
| with water may not remove all the arsenic, II
any IL present. But II certainly helps, and per-
| sonally, don't worry much about either ar
| scnic poisoning or the ingestion OF insect eggs
| II have washed the apple with soap and water
and rinsed It well before sink my teeth In It.
Since there Is n wee bit OF arsenic normally
excrcted In the urine, It would not do to decide
| that patient has arsenic poisoning just be-
81 mil ? q AtaAA ~
| urine. Instead the doctor injects one-half
gram Approximately srains) OF sodium ny.
posuiphite formerly called tniosnlphats o.
ing agent) into the patients vein. The hyposul-
phite picks up the arsenic and eliminates 1t
through the kidneys. II the "a hour specimen
normal maximum in the urine, that Is fair evil
dence that the patient has too much arsenic IN
his system.
Well, II so, then what? For one thing 1t is
q very good idea to keep on injecting the hypo-
sulphite every day for few weeks and see
bring steady Improvement in the patients con-
dition. That is the course for ordinary folk.
fer to lay in a stock Of sodium hyposulphite
and take 15 or 20 grains three times day. dis
solved in water and sweetened or favored to
life even for a Connecticut Yankee or Scotch
man who resents these foul slurs on his race,
but I'm bound to say don't know how effec-
tive the hypo is when taken internally rather
than intravenousy. and moreover 1t must be
taken for at least six weeks, which would run
1.-The cost of the medicine away up to thirty
cents or more-so II any of our Connecticut
readers still decides to try 1t out hope he will
send In a report of his experience. That Is. we'd
like to know whether the treatment accom-
plishes the desired result. 1t is immaterial
whether the druggist charges two bits more or
less than you think you ought to pay for the
medicine
Lead arsenate as an insecticide has taken the
place OF Paris green laceto.arsenite of copperl
and lead arsenite Is more likely to cause lead
poisoning than arsenic poisoning.
QUESTIONS. AND ANSWERS
Girls May Swim
ON the strength OF your sanction OF the prac-
/ tice, my niece Of ~, against her mothers ad-
vice, went Into the water. and for the last
| four months has failed (Mrs X. b.
| Answer-Nousense. Madam. Any girl or
woman may go IN swimming or take q bath.
whenever she likes. 80 far a. her own health
" tcopsrisht 1888. John +. Ollie Co.,