Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-08
POISONING BY LEAD.
Hundreds Of Persons Poisoned
with Lead Ground up
with Flour.
A Frightful Tragedy in the Waikiki
Valley.
From the New York Tribune, june "a

a disease which for some time bafled the
skill of the physicians they being at q loss
TO divine the cause. The malady, it is
true, exhibited the most positiyesynptoms
of lead poisoning, yet all the sufferers de-
MED having used anything that could in
their estimation have been contaminated
with lead ever in its mineral condition.
In some cases whole families were stricken
down, while in others only one or two
members of q family were attacked,
| Sometimes the disease assumed a violent
form, and caused death and again it was
of a milder type. and the patients were
relieved. To-day hundreds are suffering
from its effects, many of whom will never
be able to do anything, and will in time
waste away and die, the victims of this
terrible disease.
Thesymptoms most prominent in these
cases have been obstinate constipation,
severe pain in the abdomen, nausea and
persistent vomiting, collie, difficulty in
voiding urine, and in many instances
the excavations being mingled with
| blood, pain and heat in the region of the
kidneys, cramps and partial paralysis eff
| the upper extrenities and an anxious,
| gloomy expression of countensnee. The
above are the symptoms which have been
present in a greater or less degree of prom
inence and severity in every case.
Professional men at once saw that these
symptoms pointed to and were character
istic of lead poison; but it was also OBJ
| served that some or all of them were en-
countered in other and far different forms
| of disease, IS in eoLlca enteTitis (inflamma-
4 - II a. s-A1-Es-.- 1870 Tl1nnI--
urine dySuria difficulty in voiding urine)
and other conditions of the system in
| which spasm, nervous disorder and psral-
ysis manifest themselves. The only di-
agnostie symptom which, regarded by
itself, was conclusive as to the lead poison,
was the blue line ct the margin of the
teeth, which has been present in almost
every case. The doctors were sorely per-
picked, but in about two weeks after the
first violent cases came under their notice
they had, by careful study, traced the
lead in the system so that there vas no
longer any doubt on that point. 1t now
remained to ascertain the source from
whence it came.
After considerable research it was
found that the lead was Conveyed into the
stOmachs of the sufferers by bread and
meal, and as q greater partof those staples
were manufactured at the mill of a Mr..
Marsh at Philipsburg, an investigation
was at once made in that direction, and
the following facts were ELECTED, greatly
to the surprise of every one, the miller
himself included:
1t appears that Mr.. Marsh had gained
an enviable notoriety for the superior
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 -four 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" wGrE.
This was an old set, constantly needing
repairs, and large cavities frequently
manifested themselves, which, instead of
being filled Up with the cement generally
used for that purpose, EeFo Alled with
common lead. Some of these holes we're
as large as a hens egg, one, we are in
formed, being as large as the palm of q
mans hand. II, when filled, the lead
projected above the surface of the stone,
il was hammered down level. They were
then adjusted, the grain wa run in, and
the motion began and was gradually in
creased until a very high rate of spaod
was attained. Of course the a~ttrition
caused by this velocity detached
particles of lead from the stone and
mingled them almost imperceptibly with
the -four. Each moment increased the
amount, so that TO every pound of -four
there was enough lead impaired to make
q small buckshot. With the enormous
business of Mr.. Marsh, the reader can
imagine how much lead was being dis
tributed throughout the surrounding
country, TO be absorbed into the systems
of those who partook of the -four.
The lead in this form was compare
lively harmless, but When fermented and
subjected to the baking process it Wa ia
mediately transformed into carbonate of
lesd-the deadliest Of all lead poisons.
Bread Of this kind was but little better
than bread spread with white lead as a
substitute for butter.
Were it not for the fact that tie lead
was taken in such large quantities as to
produce a counter state of action, hun
dreds would have died before the cause
could be discovered.
As soon as it became apparent that the
disease sprang from the bread Ct which
the sufferers had partaken, DR.. Dorranee
and Mr.. King, a very skillful chemist of
Middleton, at once determined to anslyze
the flour. Samples were procured and to
their establishment they found that the
lead could be discerned with the naked
eye. Next, a microscope revealed it be-
.ond a doubt, and as q still further proof
it was subjected to some six standard tests,
each one showing the presence of lead in
quantities. After these tests, all the
-four which had come from Marsh's mill
was Immediately returned to him and the
mill ceased running, but the mischief was
done, the seed had been soIn and
the fruit was coming forth st an alarming
rate; the young and old were stricken
those who were afflicted with any
chronic disease being the greatest suffer
ers. Of course a panic was the result and
the doctors were kept busy day and night.
| do not care to pain your readers with q
recital of the terrible aSonies endured by
these unfortunate people, but tde scenes
q radius of from 20 to 80 miles
Of the country were truly h~esrtrending.
Only those who have suffered can form
any idea of the horrors, the inward fires
which were consuming the patients, or the
agonizing cramps thRt contracted every
muscle of their weakened frames.
Fortunately, the bakers of the place had
purchased their -four from the Western
States, or the disease would have spread
a much greater eztant. Many of the
yrocers, as well as private families, wero
n the habit of receiving their supplies
'egularly from the mill, and of course all
who used them were afflicted.
To-day | haYe visited most of the lead
ng physicians here, and append 3 tabular
tatement Of the number of cases trested
each from the middle of March to the
time:
). Dorrsnoe....-...40 DR.. Smiley, about....s 80
,r. Eyeritt----.~.5l DR.. Wright, sbout-...4
'r. BrAdner Csevere) s Total--.--. 2ls
This only includes the region in tbs i'm
Mediate vicinity of Middleton and does
.ot embrace Goshen and its environs; but
am informed that there have been over