How to use arsenic in the XIX century

• How to use arsenic in the XIX century

Of course, modern medicine is also not all-powerful, but how far she stepped over the past 100 years, impressive in earnest. Diseases that used to be fatal, or even the names which did not exist before, is now successfully treated. What can I say - and the medicines themselves have become more lenient. Doctors in the XIX century could prescribe to their patients are real poisons - sometimes in extremely high doses - and it's still considered "the good."

Poisons were considered an integral part of Chinese medicine. However, they vosktoke still often used in a rather modest dosages and only as one part of the mixture with many components. In Europe, it was not uncommon when doctors set out to "kill the disease," with the help of such aggressive agents, suggesting that the damage that would be caused illness will still be greater than the harm to the person.

For example, doctors are still literally a hundred years ago is actively discharged arsenic as a cure for syphilis. Penicillin will be opened only in 1928, Alexander Fleming, and until that time, aggressive medications were really aggressive and immediately to the disease, and to the man, killing them both.

Arsenic, for example, is not considered as a serious poison. In Europe it is actively used for various purposes, including for cosmetics - mixing it with vinegar and chalk, women thus tried to whiten his skin. Arsenic was also used for the treatment of certain tissues, especially those that were on the expensive suits the wealthy.

But not any problem of arsenic can be compared with those who received the Austrians from Styria. The inhabitants of this province of Austria had for a long time known as the inveterate arsenic eaters. We are talking about the inhabitants of the mountains, which had regularly climb the hillsides and walk long distances. That's just to develop at greater stamina they used the arsenic. In 1851 we published an article about these "arsenofagah" in one of Vienna's medical journals. This article explains that the mountain of Austria residents eat arsenic almost guests, and this becomes healthier and longer do not grow old, and physically they are more hardy, and apparently even arsenic makes them happier.

Styria.

The inhabitants of Styria really absorbed arsenic in an entirely unimaginable doses. Every morning for the coffee they swallowed pieces of arsenic: usually the size of a piece was equal to a kernel lentils, but some older Austrians could easily eat for breakfast in four such "seed". Average human poison such volume would kill in seconds. However, the Austrians did not die. Moreover - they really looked very healthy - rosy-cheeked, well-fed, hardy.

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What is particularly interesting - without regular doses of arsenic have "arsenofagov" Real breaking. withdrawal was expressed in the fact that the Austrians began to hurt the stomach, their sick, started anxiety, constipation, disturbed breathing, and only new piece of arsenic helped get rid of these symptoms. And if such an unfortunate time did not give a new dose of your favorite poison, he could die.

Needless to say that it was after the publication of an article on "arsenofagah" Arsenic has become so popular in Europe - and as a treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, get rid of worms and tapeworms, and as the main ingredient for cosmetics. How many young ladies in the pursuit of beauty died from arsenic poisoning, it is now even count. As a matter of fact it is difficult to know the real number of victims from the same poisoning Austrians - in the end, except for "pyschuschih health" arsenic eaters of Styria were also those who died suspiciously quickly.

Odi of secrets "arsenofagov" was that the pieces of this material are sufficiently large so that the body time to digest it, and the toxic substance does not accumulate in the body, but rather a rapid withdrawal. Given the high mobility of the inhabitants of the mountain, with the intestines have never had any problems, unlike the prim European aristocrats, avoid physical labor.

Some of the doctors later wrote that all "arsenofagi" must have been charlatans and arsenic instead they actually ate chalk. Now, when there is an opportunity to learn what changes occur in the body on a chemical level, it could be found, whether arsenic promote good health shtiriytsev or it was a hoax. Arsenofagov but no more - as well as those wishing to try their "diet" for yourself. Therefore, this incident, the court around, and will be remembered as another mystery. That, in principle, not so bad - after all, in the modern world there are lots of much more secure means by which you can improve your health and appearance.