Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-05-27
TIE NArIoNAL HOTEL DISEASE.

Col. John S. Socum, of Providence L. l., who
a guest at the National Hotel at Washington.
during the prevalence Of the malaiy there, has
written letter to the Providence Post detailing his
experience and that Of others who suffered by the
mysterious disease. He first notices the suggestions
winch have been made relative to Mr.. Buchanan,
and that he was the object Of prisoners who wished
to GET him out Of the way, and presents tho follow
ing statement:
q" Mr. Buchanan arrived in Washington on Mon
day or Tuesday, the Goth cor 9th of January
Inc lamily OF Senator James arrived there ON We'd
hesday, the lih day OF January, and early ON The
morning Of Friday, the 10th, ten or eleven days be
lore MT buchanan arrived in Washington, all OF
'hell, hVe IN number, were then sick, vomiting and
purghg simultaneously, and continued, two or three
OF them under the care of the physician while IN
me h"'el, which was until the sth Of February,
When he removed them to private quarters until re
covering sullcIenty TO endure the fatigue Of the
Journey to New York, whence they arrived On The
al oI understanding cOncluSivcly, that the dis
ease ulu commence al least ten days before the ar
rival OF Mr.. Buchanan. There were also several
Olhers SICK week before Mr. Buchanan reached
washington, whose symptoms were almost precisely
those OF the cases first alluded to-
Mr.. Slocum then addresses himself to the remarks
OF Dr. "ynne, that &" the disease had been confined
almost exclusively to the male guests of the house
Us but hive Of the females had suffered from its eff
lec's' and suggested as one reason for which might
Oe that the ladies usually had fire in their rooms,
ana the windows partially open most Of the time,
anu STATES that not only the family Of Senator James,
consisting OF four females and one male were seri-
ously ILL., but that this was the case with the families
of Senators Hale, Brown. Bavarl and Pratt; of !
Ulan'y Jones Of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Wheeler, Con
gresham from New York, Col. Brown, of Provi-
dence' whose wife was seriously ill for ten days, and
others.
|Oi' 0Ioeum thinks that the sickness was OCCASION
ed Oy mineral poison, and gives the following the
foundation of his belief:
That the symptoms of those who suffered from
Its effects are almost Identical with those of persons
PotSonec Dy arsenic, none who experienced them
@Iu arS INFORMED in relation to that peculiar miner
" poison, I0r an instant have any reasonable doubt
me nrsC attack, severe vomiting and purging,
constant thlrst, desire for acdulated drinks, and
uC4a'Ihg pans IN the bones of the back and
50 go NY symptoms, and as an informed, Of
1iosI VI the other instances Of this disease.
tnS FeeHFTent feature, SO universal and almost
IN cases of metallic poisoning, is untor-
IQately Ihe most disagreeablo Characteristic Of the
boon hotel maady and persons who have not
e'erey aHected since they left the hotel, anu
sIce .ney left the city of Washington, by
occurrence OF the same nausea and inclination to
o CLa[rnRa consequent upon gentle excitement or
and rare exceptions.
" In whatever mode poison was administered, if
Saf IT was. l.; still to the public mystery but
-id' 1t was mlasma caused by defective sewerage
whose effects in some instances have been fatal and
~ gnsSt many cases producing, oven to this mo-
for belief. - 'ne y '''D' -
,.an DO not pretend to say that it may not have
S Sa attempt 20 destroy Mr. Buchanan; but that
$ an error and that it VIZ. c "I to the males
Almost n IS t. e1clqsi vely, is certainly untrue
which aItan4e the circumstances, Mr. Editor
'nd tn? agtb2rties in Washington directed that an
.nay SIS o. ne coffee and soups should be made
b Of F Ta m Appearance of the disease until the
'a % 1tarcn' on some one or more of those days.
ne presence q metallic poison would have been de-
'''sa IN one 'E al Of such liquids"