The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1866-06-14
Miseellamu.
A Whole Village Poisoned.

Il Whole Village Poisoned.
A correspondent of the New York
News, writing from Middletown, New
York, says that nearly three hundred
people in that region are i'll from the
effects of lead poisoning, and that sew
eral deaths had occurred. The writer
says: < Y 2 2 D = 3
is now nearly two tfi5hths sihee
the people residing along that portion
Waikiki Valley which lies in the west
erh part of Orange county, were attack
ed by a disease which fof some time
baf1sd the skill Of the physicians, they
being at a loss to divine the cause.
After considerable research, it was
found that lead was conveyed into the
stomach of the sufferers by bread and
meal, and as greater part of those sta
pies were manufactured at the mill of a
Mr: Marsh; OF Phillipsburg, an investf=
CATION was at once made in that direc-
ton, and the following facts were eli
cited, greatly to the surprise of every
one, the miller himself included:
It appears that Mr. Marsh, had gain
ed anenviable notoriety for the supe-
rior quality of his -four, and that the
farmers for many miles around
were in the habit of bringing their
wheat. and corn to his mill to be
made into flour and meal. Aside from
this he exported largely, so that his
mill, which has four run Of stone, was
kept constantly going by night as well
as by day. One set of these stones
was set apart for his "custom'' work
This was an old set, constantly need
ing repairs, and large cavities frequent
| ly manifested themselves, which, in
stead of being filed up with the cement
generally used for that purpose, were
! flied with common lead Some of these
holes were as large as hens egg one
we are informed, being as large as the
palm of mans hand. If, when filled,
the lead projected above the surface of
the stone, it was hammered down level.
They were then adjusted, the grain was
run in and the motion began and was
gradually increased until avery high rate
of speed was attained. Of course, the
attrition caused by the velocity detach-
ed particles of lead from the stone,
and mingled them almost imperceptibly
with the -four. Each moment increas-
ed the amount, so that to every pound OF
-four there was enough lead impaired
to make a small buckshot. With the
enormous business of Mr.. Marsh, the
reader can immagine how much lead
was being distributed throughout the
surrounding country to be absorbed
into the systems of those who partooL
Of the -four. s1s
The lead in this form was compare
lively harmless, but when fermenteo
and subjected to the baking process il
was Immediately transformed into car
Donate of lead, the deadliest Of all poi
sons. Bread Of this kind was but lit
tie better than bread spread with white
lead as substitute for butter. ..fs se
Were it not for the fact that the leac
was taken in such large quantities as tc
produce a counter state of action, hun
dreds would have died before the cause
could be discovered. a- ~.st ..a
T. AS soon as it became apparent tha
the disease sprang from the bread O.
which the sufferers had partaken, DR.
Dorranee and Mr.. King, very skillfu
chemist of Middletown, at once de
termined to ana1yze the flour. Sam
pies were procured, and to their aston
ishment they found that the lead coult
be discerned with the naked eve
Next, a microscope revealed it beyont
Il doubt, and as a still further proof i
was subjected to sonic sin STANDARD