Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-07-21
ATALE OF HORROR.

family of the Rev. Ezekiel Harvey, Pastor of
the Evangelical Reformed Church in the ninth
Avenue. As this remarkable case presents
features of the most exciting and important
character, which imperiously demand the close
attention of the public and ridgid investiga-
ton the part of the civil authorities, we have
endeavored to procure the details in the fullest
and most authentic form.
1t appears that Mr.. Harvey, who, as many of
our readers doubtless recollect, conducted with
so much spirit the controversy with the Rev.
DR.. Scribner, on the question of the legality of
the canon defining the degrees of consangui-
nifty within which marriage is admissible, was
suddenly seized with slight convulsive fit i'm
medately after the performance of the morning
service at his church on Sabbath the 9th. At
tributing the attack to disordered state of the
digestive organs, aggravated by intense mental
labor in preparing the new edition of the "Ear-
nest Thinkers Wade Mecum," now in press by
Messrs. Harper, Mr.. Harvey did not experience
the same degree of alarm which might other
wise have been excited by this sudden indlspo-
sltlon. Towards evening, however, a second
and third attack of greatly increased severity,
thoroughly aroused the reverend gentleman and
his family to the dangerous character Of his ILL
ness. His physician was Immediately sum-
moned, and, on his arrival, found the patient in
a cataleptic conditon-entirely deprived of all
power of voluntary motion-all his limbs and
the whole muscular system perfectly rigid
After an Intellectual attempt at phlebotomy, a
variety of stimulants were, with difficulty, ad-
ministered, and about midnight the physician
left Mr.. Harvey somewhat recovered, and able
to articulate few syllables.
On the following morning the Doctor return
ed, and, to his great coDsternation found that
Mrs. Harvey and the three Misses Harvey, had
all been seized during the night, in manner
precisely similar to that in which the venerable
pastor himself had been attacked, on the Erevi-
Gus day! MIR. Harvey had suffered relapse,
and there lay the whole family fixed and mo-
tionless, as if in the cold embrace of death! The
domestic was nowhere to be found, and the idea
instantly flashed on the physicians mind. that,
impelled by some demoniac influence, the abb
sconding servant had poisoned the whole FAM
lily.
Messengers were instantly despatched to the
Chief Police, the interchangeable Mr.. Matsell,and
to DIR. Mott. Obeying the summons with
characteristic alacrity, DIR. Mott hurried to the
house,and instantly, on ascertainng the strange
aud alarming character of the case, he sent
message desiring the attendance of his partic
ular friend, DR.. Cheeseman, with whom he has
warmest professional and personal friendship.
A consultation was now held between these
distinguished gentlemen the stomach pump
being in the mean time employed under the di-
rection of the family physician. Involved in so
much obscurity, and presenting such an extra
ordinary and formidable aspect, the consulting
physicians deemed it proper to call in the addi-
tional aid of DIR. Delafeld, who brought with
him his friend associate DIR. Nelson, the emin-
ent Canadian Surgeon. Another consultation
was held, and DR.. Motifs suggestion to try the
effects of the letheon having been adopted, the
gas as administered to Mrs. Harvey in the
first instance. The result was favorable. In
few moments after the first inhalation, the
lady's chest began to heave gently, the rigidl-
ty of the muscles relaxed, her eyes were gent
ly opened, and with a pleasant smile, Mrs. HI.
exclaimed, "Oh! have had such nice sleep"
The letheon was, of course, now administered
to the other patients, DIR. Deiafeld getting up
the gas by his hew eminently scientific mode,
for which, we understand, patent is to be OBJ
tanned; and in the ca Sc of the young ladies, the
same fortunate effects as where produced in
Mrs. Harvey's case, though not in so marked a
degree followed. The Misses Harvey appear
ed TO be restored to consciousness, but the pow
er of speech did not return, whilst the limbs re-
tanned much of the alarming rigidity. AS for
Mr.. Harvey, he seemed to resist obstinately the
llfe-lnspiring fluid, and remained fixed in the
iron embrace of the cataleptic seizure.
1t was now suggested by DIR. Mott, that his
pupil and protege. DIR. Homer Bostwick, consul
ting physician of the Chambers street Institute
should be called in. To this the other physi-
clans at once assented. But unfortunately the
messenger found DR.. Bostwick engaged in his
operating theatre, administering the letheon to
seventeen patients, and the medical gentlemen
were therefore deprived Of his large experience
in this interesting case.
AS Mrs. H. was able to articulate, the atten-
ton of the physicians was directed to hers in
hope, that she might be able to communicate
some information calculated to shed light on
the perplexing calamity in which this worthy
family had been SO mysteriously involved.
With no little difficulty Mrs. Harvey was at
length able to inform the medical attendants,
that about ten days since, Mr.. and Mrs. Har-
vey and the girls had had their teeth filed with
the substance called "Amalgarn," which MIR.
Parmly, SD. D. s." of this city, has proved
to be one of the most deadly poisons ever COM
pounded by any ''children of the night" OF
course the whole mystery was now solved. The
quantity of mercury which had been absorbed
had so Frustrated the nervous and muscular
systems that pseudo-catalepsy had been pro-
duced, and whole family brought to the verge
of the grave! The doctors, with one voice, ex-
pressed their horror at the idea Of using any
material but gold, and that ofthe finest quality,
and instantly sent for DR.. Parmly. The Doc
tor Immediately expressed desire to have DIR.
Castle, the fashionable Broadway dentist, sum-
moned, in order that he might be convinced of
the pernicious nature or the "AmalganA" and,
in the meantime, made an attempt to extract
the filings, but failing from the compactness
with which the poisonous material had been
inserted, he extracted the teeth-three from
the mouth of Mr.. Harvey-six from Mrs. Har-
vey-two from Miss Elizabeth, five from Miss
Mary Ann, and Sc ven from Miss Martha wash
ington, making in all twenty-three teeth in one
family filled with this destructive and deadly
''amaIgamr
We understand that the family are all slow
ly recovering. Mr.. Harvey is able to walk