Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-06-15
Rg.E.sss llany.
a.srnsls less .ssson.ns Case.


Trrrsnie Lead Poisoning Case. |,
Ahout sso men;ts ago the people Of
aliadlegsn. IA tas. 4 of WAIKIKI Valley
IL the eastern ,iaSs Orange County, N.
K I, wSre astatAel 9TH a virulent disease
Which baaiea tie y Il Of the physicians,
and appeared b eSh bit the most positive
sysnptort &c l9aa poisoning, yet the suf-
lat rs Sahiad la,t hey had eaten any
thing euasaalin stla With lead. In many
ssses shs bsi,enis "a d, and a great num-
hsf bgse thaa Col titutions ruined for
siie, aed v w way as victims of this
frsG i8Y
the pbgsicisnswere very much puzzled
focssarullee We ,e Of the disease, the
epls symptom vii was regarded as con-
oiasiRe aa iea's the primal cause was
Tho tlus vac as margin Of the teeth,
NhieAs Na pfrens a almost every case.
After patient study and investigation, they
became convinced that the malady was
caused by lead in the system. and they inn
mcdiately directed their efforts to ascer-
tain how il was conveyed there.
After considerable research it was found
that the lead was conveyed into the stom-
achs Of the sufferers by bread and meal,
and as greater part Of those staples were
manufactured at tho mill Of Mr.. Marsh,
at Philipsburg, an investigation was at
once made in that direction, and the fol-
lowing facts were elected, greatly to the
surprise Of every one, the miller himself
1t appears that Mr.. Marsh had gained
nnUs~lxlo ~sek~ Co. he
quality Of his flour, 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, 60 that his
mill, which was four run of stone, was
kept constantly gcing-by night, as well
as by day. One set of these stones was
set apart for custom = work This was
an old set, constantly nceding repairs, and
large cavities frequently manifested them
selves, which, instead Of being filed up
with the cement generally used for that
purpose, were filed with common Lead
Seine of these holes were as large az q
hens egg, one, we are informed, being as
large as the palm Of mans hand. IF
when flied, the lead projected above the
stone, it was hammered down level. They
were then adjusted, theS grain was run in
and the motion began and was gradually
increased until . very high rate Of speed
WAS attained. Of course the attrition
caused by this velocity detached particles
Of lead from the stone and mingled them
almost imperceptibly with the -four. Ev-
cry moment increased the amount, SO that
to every pound of -four there was enough
yna .x<,I - al 81,
With the enormous business Of Mr..
Marsh, the reader can imagine how much
lead was being distributed throughout the
surrounding country, to be absorbed into
the systems Of those who part0ok Of the
-four.
The lead in this form was comparatively
harmless, but when fermented and sub
jected to the baking process, it was imme-
aiately transformed into carbonate of lead
the deadliest Of all lead poisons. Bread
of this kind was bat little better than
i. bread spread with white lead as substi-
tute for butter.
We're il not for the fact that the lead
was taken ia such large quantities AS t.
produce . counter state of action, humid
.eds would hove 1;ed befo~e tho causs
could be discovered. FS
Samples of the -four were then analyzet
by skillful chemists, who found that leat
could not only be discovered in larg'
quantities, but in many cases could b
seen by the naked eye. As soon as thes'
facts became known, q general panic wa
the result, the mill ceased running, thos
who had obtained -four of Mr.. Marsh re
turned it to him, but the seeds Of poisol
had already been sown at an alarming
rate through radios of from twenty 4
thirty miles.
In the town and Immediate vicinity Q
Middleton 213 cases of this malady hav
happened, besides 100 more at Goshen,
few miles off The most heart-rending dc
tails are given of the suffering of the pee
pie at these places. A great many Chi
dren have died. Scores of men, who
few weeks ago were in the full enjoymer
of health and strength, are ruined for lif'
and totter to and fro, their faces havin
the appearance of dry parchment; the
eyes sunken and encircled by dark rim
their lips blue, their muscles contracte
and their limbs distorted; for them
move is intense pain; relapse follows ~
lapse, till in time they succunb 10 the e
fects of this fearful malady.
NOZZLE ACT OF HERoIsM.-One nigl
last week while train on the Graf
Trunk line was passing through ST. Hy
cinthe, &C. w. young gentleman, M