458 NATURAL HISTORY. 



to 3.7. Arsenic is a deadly poison. Taken even in 

 small quantities, it creates a general disturbance of the 

 system, which, at last, ends in convulsions and death. 

 Those who work in the arsenic mines, seldom continue 

 two years without losing their health. First there is a 

 failure of appetite, next ensues loss of flesh, the skin 

 becomes of a tawny hue and scales off, the hair is lost, 

 then comes wasting fever and harassing cough ; general 

 dropsy takes possession of the system, and is the prelude 

 to death. The best remedy against poisoning from 

 arsenic is sugar and water or whites of raw eggs ; also 

 freshly-prepared iron rust, which is easily made with 

 muriated tincture of iron and spirits of ammonia. 



Red Copper Ore occurs foliate, also in spirate, 

 slender, or capillary crystals, and sometimes massive ; 

 the capillary form variety, plate 32, fig. 3, represents a 

 structure formed of a network of fine hair-like crystals, 

 irregularly interlaced ; is the color of cochineal, passing 

 into gray and brown ; streak brownish-red ; luster ada- 

 mantine metallic ; on being splintered is nearly trans- 

 parent or translucent. It colors glass green. Found in 

 many locations : Cornwall, England ; Temeswar, Hun- 

 gary; Hartz mines, etc.. Germany, also in Siberia and 

 Brazil. Observed in the United States crystallized and 

 massive, in the copper mines of New Jersey, Connecti- 

 cut, and New York. Crystals are often green from a 

 coating of malachite. H. = 3.5 to 4. Gr. = 5.7 to 6. 



