The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-02-14


rDnte to escape.
Northern papers, Of the 7th, afford no CON.
fsrration of the capture of the Florida or oi
ita destruction. A description OF the repulse
CT srel troops at Fort Donelson 10 all that ID
OF / Importance.
For The facts given you, as well as myself,
srs indebted to SAN ScouT.
Rye Cslfee--.Ets DANGERS
q case Of some interest to the drinkers Of
rye coffso has occurred in Brooklyn, n Y.
Several members Of family there were Sc.
siou.ly affected by poison, allegedto hays beer
ecntained in the coffee they drank An exam
ination was made BY the Health OfRcer Of
Brooklyn, who discovered that tho sickness
was caussd by the continued use Of coffee
made by rye, and he was confirmed in hi.
opinion by making experiments upon dog
He therefore ordered the police to seize the
packages on sale in the store from which ths
family alluded to had procured the coffee
The following is the statement of the Health
O1ace- Ia regard TO the matter:
HEALTH DEPARTMEsT,
Brooklyn, Feb. 5, 1868
On the lst inst DR.. n. PslEedo, Of thia
city, reported that the entire family and the
servant Of q German merchant had for scme
t;as previously, and etia suffered from the
effects of vegetable poison, alleged to have
been taken with THAR food / entered imme.
diately upon tho investigation Of tho case. /
found Mr.. George C. Croft, his wife, two of
his daughters, and ono son, more or less under
the influence Of the supposed poison, the rest
Of the family being couvalescent. The SER
yaat had been removed to other quartsrs
One Of the young ladies was very sick; her
faee wis bloated and disfgured like the Drop
sy; her eyeiids were greatly distended, and
could scarcely be opened; her eyebaIs were
bloodshot, and the pupils considerably dilated;
she was then under violent fever, and very
restless; she complained Of headache and great
dizziness; she was tortured by frightfnl dreams,
and became at times delifions; besides this
there was great pain in the back and extremi.
les tho latter were moreover benumbed; she
was very weak Leaning that every men,
ber Of the family had been thus affected,
could not hesitate in lending my Official assis-
Iancs In the discovery Of the alleged poison
ous cause. DR.. Palmedo had already instituted
The most searching inquiry, and at last has fixed
Tia suapicions upon the so-called rye coffee,
which the family had made use Of for the last
three or four weeks. After due elaboration
on all the attending circumstances could not
help sharing in the suspicion, As no other cause
could be assigned.
AUCUIt81OA48 TIC RS1coo Wu0fo tA0 U00ReCVoO
articles had been bought, possessed myself
Of some samples, suspended the further sais Of
said articles ct those places until its compoai-
ton and effects could be fully examined Into.
Chemical analysis and microsC0pioal examina-
tions being utterly impracticable, resorted to
experiments upon dogs. In preparing strong
decoction OF the sample, noticed its strong,
disagreaable, and nausoating flavor, very
eimil2r 10 that emanAting from dec0ction Of
srgot. yet stronger in tho former. The animal
exhibited great restleesness and weakness;
his movements and position were in6rm his
pulse rose within an hour from 100 to l6O, and
even, for short time, to l72 per minute; pu-
pills became dlatca; he was evidently sick at
the stomach; very thirty. It seemed TO be con-
elusive that the samples used for the expert
Easnt contained noxi0us ingredienta Of q poi
sonous character. The case Of Nr. Cro1t's
family il not . solitary one. / had become
cogpizant Of numerous irstauces IN which the
such complaints had besn made at the store
from which the samples had been parchAsed
l have, thsrafors, considered myself justiiad
in condemning the stock Of the article, and
have ordered IL destruction.
Nobody should bs surprised q the Obnox-
ions effects Of rye epdes, for with the rye H.
self grow crgot and other poisonous plAnts,
and unless their seed b carefnliy separated
from rye, poisoning ID inevitable. Pure rye h
certainly . cheap and innocent substitutA for
codes-the adultexatious alone asU 70 b. fear-
cd In tho article. hope this disclosure will
teach manufacturers Of the astiole . - noFe
careful in the seleetion of the noW makoeiAl.
othsrwise the public win protect itssH more
sdsctaaily. a
GTRAn ar Am TrnrIr1 Vo,nrN,r m r..r