Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-07-04
WARGg1 Wv.
The Trembles.

u huWoeT Oh your lnHhhnble journal, cor
respondent from N. c., if | remember
Alright made some inquiries of YOU or any
one, regarding form Of disease by common
consent termed milk Sickness" He ask
ed for some Information as TO the cause of
this distressing malady which has so far
proven itself one of The opprobia of profes.
sion. 1t is my fortune TO be able to state
without hazard, TO n certainty, the cause or
causes Of this disease. | have waited thus
long. hoping some one would take the trou.
lle and offer some information but have
seen none. The number which contained
the request has been misplaced Ivy me some
how am, therefore, not quite certain as
to the locality Of the wlitcr
The agents that cause this disease are
Copper and Arsenic. The former found in
astate of nature as an oxide or suphuret,
or in the form Of its native salts, the carbon,
ate, sulphate, or arsenae. The latter, too,
MS found in mineral regions, usually associa.
ted with other metals, and its salts imprcg.
mating the earth to greater or less extent
The following circumstances gave origin
TO the discovery, Some parts Of the fertile
Slate of Illinois, afford often in summer no
stock water. The suffering stock will greed
lily suck empty every little puddle or track,
or any place wherein water may be gather.
ed. 1t so Glanced at this season of the
year, that in the little excavations left by
some quarrymen who were getting out rock,
small quantities Of water would "scep," and
the cattle on their way home from the rich
but dry praires, sought out and eagerly
drank the water. The leading one of the
herd and her yearling arrived first at the
place, consumed pretty much all by the
time the Others got up, AS the COW was
owned by one Of the workmen, she was no.
ticed by him with some satisfaction at her
drink. But by the following morning the
COW and ycarling were seized already with
the "rcmbles," and in few days expired,
whereas none of the balance Of the herd suf-
fered. The rich milk obtained from her
ample bag was given to the children, and
all of them had attacks Of the "A1ilk Sick"
The observation Of the owner of the COW at
the quarry, led TO a further investigation.
Those over sanguine for their own interest
IN their non belief, furnished sheep calves
and colts TO test the water, and every one
penshed. Againand ngan this WAS repeat.
ed, and each time the animal would be sciz.
cd with the peculiarly characteristic symp-
toms OF that disease, and die with the trcm-
hles. Some Of the water was then obtain
cd, and sent to thorough chemist for anal.
ysls, who pronounced it TO contain Copper
and Arsenic mainly.
Every symptom which marks this dis.
case will bear out the truth Of this discovery,
more particularly in the human subject.
The poisonous effects of copper and arsenic
correspond entirely TO the symptoms oGthat
disease, The effects of arsenic, it is too
well known, are an interminable stretching
with distressed anxious expression on the
counlenance, indicative Of almost complete
collapse Those Of copper are not unlike in
their action upon the gastrointesiinal mu.
eous membrane, besides muscular. weak
ness amounting to paralytic condition Of
the entire muscular system, as if all ner.
vous influence was cut off, with excessive
prostration and greattremor. Thy symp-
toms of the milk-sickncss correspond exact
~ with the effects Of these agents upon the
human system
II recoIlect rightly, the writer from n.
g. said that in his section the poisonous
spots were known with that degree of GER
tainty, that in many places, to prevent cat
tie from feeding on them, they had been
fenced in. ] will venture TO assure him
that if be will take the trouble to excavate q
shallow pit in which during the hight some
water may collect, and have it subjected to
chemical tests or analysis, some form Of
the salts of copper, and perhaps arsenic will
be found. In travelling through section
of Illinois, sometime since, and while stop.
ping for dinner district was pointed out
to me as being much afflicted with the
milk sick" On resuming Smy journey, |
shortly after rode into a creek and happen
ed to notice some coaT utting out from the
bank. / at once procured piece, and on
breaking it apart, found traces of copper
all through it,
/ give you these facts, Mpssrs. Editors,
so that they may receive wider circulation,
and also that observations at large may be
made 10 either corroborate or reiute. j
trust that every man so situated as TO test
these revelations, will do so and publish The
results, and thereby contribute not only tc
the stores Of science, but be instrumental in
alleviating the Diseries and diseases of his
fellow morthls. Because when the cause
Of disease can he come at with certainty
course of treatment can be devise that
must prove curative.
ISAAC HUrcHiEsoN, M. D.
Evansville, la.
DEACON II. us 70 say his wife had a
certain recipe for testing indigo II was, ia
sife d little indigo on the surface Of some cold