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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1880)
a THE WEST SHORE. January, 1880. POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. Reliable statistics, running for many yean, and extending over Urge areas, show that acoi dent from poisons are of much more frequent ooourrenoe now than formerly. This fact ii no doubt doe to the much mora n of poisons at present than in yeara pant, both in ordinary houaehold matters and in tho arte. While in all oaiei of poiaoning the chief re Uanoe must be placod upon medical aid, yet it often ooonri that the need for a remedy ia urgent, ao that othera ahould know tho moat ready and available methoda of relief. There are aome general inatructiona which, in the ab sence of direct aiitidotoa, will apply to moat Soisons, and the New York Independent haa one a good work in preparing and publishing the following quite full direetiona of how to act in cases of emergonoy, or while waiting for a pbvnoian : Many poiaona do their harm by their immo diate action upon tho esophagus and the coata of the stomach. Hence, if any liquid or soft olid aubatanoe ia aoon awalloweil, it tenda to diminiah the effect. To thia end liquida, auch aa water or milk, may be freely given. Oils alao have a protective agency, and these dimin iah the virulence, especially of the acrid poisons. It ie alao a aafe indication to remove from the tomaeh by meana of emotica tho substance whioh ha been awalloweil. A toaapoonful of muatard in a tea-cup of warm water ia generally nearest at hand, and may be given to an adult, or half the quantity to a ohild, every ten min- utea until vomiting ia excited. A half toaapoon ful of powdered liieoao, givon in the aame way. will act ai well. Tickling the throat with a linger or a feather live minutee after the emetic haa been given, ia likely to haaten ita effect, They may well be aided in their aetion, aa well as the stomach protected, by the uae of llsxseed, or slippery-elm tea, or egga, or jelly, or a tea spoonful of melted butter, or lard, or molasses. Whenever the poison is one producing stupor, oold to the head, warmth to the extremitiea. rubbing the skin with a tleah-bruah, and at tempts to rouse the person by alternate warm and oold sprinklings may bo tried, Baiter than all, the onemloal antidote ahould be given, if known. Where an aeid haa been swallowed, soda, saleratns, lime, magnesia, or prepared ohalk should be mixed with wator and S' ren in frequent doeea. Of these the beet is oaloined magnesia, given freely. If an al kali ha been awallowod, as a lump of pntaah or lime, then acids, as vinegar, older, lemon juice, ami we use, are iimioaieu; mil me uae ol oily and mucilaginous driuka niuat not be omitted. In poisoning with MM anil its compounds, vinegar must )e carefully avoided. The rooent oaaee of pie-poisoning in New York city were probably owing to the aetion of some aoid upon a oopper kettle, or on oopper in some other Ml Oxalic aeid, usod for cleaning metals, is some times takeu by mistake for Epsom salts. Chalk. whiting, or other alkali should lie freely used oeiore any attempt to excite vomiting. Prussia aeid, although called an aeid. is fee hly so, and kills by its direct poisonous power over the nervee of organic life. The concen trated juice of peaoh leaves and kernels, of lau raj, etc.. may onset in the same way. Harts horn, alternate oold and warm effusive atimu- Unts to Uic surface and internally are mure im portaotthao any other moans. Artificial roanirs lion, the same aa directed fur drowned nervous may be required. Smith's antidote of a half tsaapooofiu ot pear lash, followed by 10 graiua of oopper o in water, is of service where yon are Mrs aa to the aoid having been taken. Sugar of lead and other salts of lead arc best neutralised by white of eggs, Kiieum salts, and leraonads When blue vitriol, or verdigris, has been taken, while ol egga, paste of wheat flour and flaiwel tea, sweetened with auger, are indi Whan grew or white vitriol, or litharge, or yellow ochor have been swallowed, chalk and flaxseed tea are of service. If lunar caustic boa been swallowed, a cupful of salt and water is the antidote. l'hosphorui, as used for poiaon of vermin and for matchea, is sometimes eaten by children. Magnesia or other alkali, with water or mucilag inmia drinks are tho readiest means of relief. ( 'roosote or an overdose of carbolic acid is to be met by white of eggs, milk and wheat-Hour paste. for poisons of the narcotic Kind, sucn as opium, aeonite, belladonna, henbane, digitalis and tonacco, were IB not at nauu any am nunc. Stimulating emetics, stimulants to the surface, and, if need be, artificial respiration are indi cated. Heavy draughts of Btrong coffee help to postpono the narcotism of opium. Lemonade or other mild acids are deemed of some service. Overdoaea of camphor or chloroform are an indication for alcoholic stimulants. Wo are still without certain antidotes for several of the nar ootiea. Aracnic, either in its metallic form as gray lly-powder or the white arsenious acid, has an antidote in the hydratcd peroxido of iron. Until this can be secured, warm water, milk, plenty of egga, and lime water must be our re liance. Tho moat frequont mistake of vegetable fooda are the substitution of other varieties for the edible mushroom and the use of poke root Phytolacca decandra) for horse-radish. No autidotca aro known. Hut the indication in to uae muatard or other stimulating emetics, and prevont further trouble by a few drops of lauda num, frequently repeated, until pain or aickneas anatca. Tlioao are merely directions for those sudden oases of emergency which may occur in any family, and whioh, in the country, at least, occur when tho physician is not within roadv reach. With the use of disinfectants, insect remedies, fans grocn (arsenic), and with the increasing familiarity of the people with various ohemicals, public health requires great caro aa to labeling all auch articlea. The medicinea left ovor from physicians' proscriptions should either bo marked or thrown away. Teach those under your oontfnl not to eat any vegeta ble or leaf without knowing what it is. All flowers with tho cups turnod downward or hooded, and all stalks which exude a milk white juice when broken, are to be regarded as poisonous. All paints, whether of oil or water oolors, should not be held in the mouth. It behooves all householders to have a special plaoe for keening all extra hazardous or doubt ful compounds, and to oast away all unmarked or unneeded hottlca and packages. Kalre Bonn IN New York. In New York State they have a law agaiuat marketing "oleo margaiiuo," or the false butter made from beof suet without plainly branding it so that pur chasers may uot be led to boliove it the gouu ine product of the cow. Some Now York mer chants persist in getting around the law by uaing indistinct brauds, etc The evil has gone so far that a society of dealers in the true article has Iwou formed, called "The National Assooia tion fnr the l'revontiou of Adulteration of llut ter." The aooiety lately held a meeting at the American Exchange in New York and elected . W nisor, President, aud T. Mortimer Seaver Secretary. A oommittoo of live was appointed to take steps to vigorously proeocute all iiarties violating the law; against palming off oleomar garine and other compounds as butter; aud at a subsequent uioeting of tho committee Mr Seaver was apiwmted attornoyand counsel for tho association, with inatructiona to proceed at once in Now York, Itrooklyn and New .lorsey The committee on subscription reported every pros)oct of raising the $5,000 in a few .lava necessary for prosecution. Tiu. kirav did not read the works of female noveliaU, because they "were not strong beer enough Besides," he said. "I read verv few STS 1 a" JS k- 1 nd S&2 Wt Mt then j52 I eat bread and butter. THE PRACTICAL USE OF SCIENCE. The adulteration of various articles of food have of late become so alarming, and the va rious processes are so skillfully conducted that the aid of science is being oalled in to assist in the detection of snnh oraorioM in nrrlm-c offenders may be more readily brought to justice. The French authorities are just now wrestling vigorously with those engaged in palming off upon the public a spurious article of olive oil, the adulterations of which have be come so universal that it is difficult to get a pure article anywhere in the European market. According to the Correspondence Scientifiqut, the government recently referred the matter to a special committee of the Academy of Sciences, which has recommended the use of a new in strument which is called the diagometer. This instrument, which has been devised by Prof. Luigi Palmieri, has its action based on the differences in the electric conductivity of oils. Pure olivo oil has very feeble conductive prop erties, which (as is also the case with other oils) increase with the amount of impurities added. The only oils that are known to com pare to olive oil in reBpect to their low conduc tivity are the oils of pine-seed and hazel nuts; and these, fortunately, are to expensive to be used in the adulteration of the former. The conclusions of the committee on the practical value of the diagometer have not yet been an nounced ; it i a noted, however, that its use de mands considerable manipulative skill. For the correctness of this abstraot we refor to the Lon don Chemical New. Butter iB another article to preservethe purity of which the aid of the scientist has been in voked. In reply to such a demand Herr Fisher asserts that the examination of butter by polar ized light with a magnifying power of about 200 to 300 diameters, affords a much more cer tain criterion of its purity than a specilic gravity test. Examined in this way, liotitious butter Bhows not only the globular drops and salt oryBtala characteristic of genuine butter, but likewise other more or less developed crystals. The author also finds this method may be ap plied to the determination of different kinds of fats, inasmuch as each of these shows character istic oolors in polarized light Mutton tallow, for instance, alwayB gives a bine tone; cocoa butter gives colors passing from the brightest green to the deepest red; the fat of oxen gives green and white luminous effects; while small bright green semi-lunar and vermicular bodies appear iu common light Hog's lard shows many oolors, especially red and blue yellow, whioh is characteristic of cocoa bntter, being absent. Woman's Influence. In the North Amer ican Review for January, Franois Parkman re viows the argumonts adduced in favor of woman suffrage by livo advocates of that measure in the November number of the Review. When tho groat mass of womankind demand the right of suffrage, it will accorded, says Mr. Park man; but with all the agitation of this question during several decades, the female sex is still content to be represented in political affairs by their male relatives. Nevertheless, women may exert a very great power in the commonwealth. If they are sound in body and mind, impart this soundness to a numerous offspring and rear them to a sense of responsibility and duty, there are no national evils that we cannot overcome. An Interrupted Serenade. Algernon, under her window in the cold, white moonlight, with a tender expression, sang: " Tlx the la-haat rose of summer, La-heft hloo-hoomlnir ale-hone ; All its Ichuv-leo companions, All ha fa-deh-hed and go-home " Voice of pa from next window, strained and cracked like, as though the old gentleman V.aS' -hi!e t"ne look for hi "tore teeth: All right, young man, all right; just pin a new.paper over it to save it from the frost, and wo U take it in with the rest of the plants in the morning." T
