The Portland daily press., 1866-06-07
The Lead-Poisonine Tragedy.

The New York Tribune contains particulars
concerning the remarkable case of wholesale
poisoning mentioned in our telegraphic dis
patches of Saturday. 1t seems that nearly
two months ago the people residing along that
portion of the Waikiki valley which lies in the
western part of Orange County, were attack
ed by disease which tor some time baff1ed
the skill of the physician, they being at loss
to divine the cause. The malady, it is true,
exhibited the most positive symptoms of lead
poisoning. yet all the sufferers stoutly denied
having used anything thar could in their est
nation have been contaminated with lead,
even in its mineral condition. In some cases
whole families were attacked, while in others
only one or two members were stricken
Sometimes the disease assumed violent form,
and caused death; and again it was OF a mild
er type, and the patients were relieved. To-
day hundreds are suffering from its effects,
many of whom will never be able to do any
thing, and will in time waste away and die,
the victims of this terrible disease. The
symptoms prominent in all cases were the
same, and medical men saw at once that they
all pointed to and were characteristic of lead
poison Alter careful study for several weeks,
they succeeded in SO tracing the lead in the
system that there was no longer any doubt of
its presence. 1t only remained to ascertain
the source from whence it came.
After considerable research it was found that
the lead was conveyed into the stomashs of the
sufferers by bread and meal, apd as a greater
part of those staples were manufactured at the
mill of MIR. Marsh at Phipsburg, an investiga-
ton was at once made in that direction, and the
following facts were elected, greatly to the
surprise o. every one, the miller himself in
GUIDED: au -
IL appears that Mr.. Marsh had gained an en-
viable notoriety for the superior 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 flour
and meal. Aside from this he exported largely
SO that his mill which has four run of stones,
was kept constantly going-bi night as well as
by day One set OF these stones was set apart
for his custom" work. This was an old set,
constantly needing repairs, and large cavities
frequently manifested themselves which. in
stead of being filled up with the cement gener-
ally used for that purpose, were filed with COM
mon lead. Some of these holes were as large
as hens egg, one, we are informed, being as
large as the palm of a mans hand II, 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 very high rate of speed was attained.
VI course the attrition caused by this velocity
detached particles of lead from the stone and
mingled them almost imperceptibly with the
nour: Each moment increased the amount, so
that to every pound OF flour there was enough
lead impaired to make small buckshot. With
the enormous business of Mr.. Marsh, the reader
can imagine how much lead was being distrib-
uted throughout the surrounding country, to
be absorbed into the systems of those who par
The lead in this form was comparatively
harmless, but when fermented and subjected to
the baking process it was Immediately trans
formed into the carbonate of lead = the dead
Hest OF all poisons. Bread of this kind was but
little better than bread spread with white lead
as a substitute for butter. l
Were it not for the fact that the lead was
taken in such large quantities as to produce a
counter state Of action, hundreds would have
died before the cause could be discovered
As soon as it became apparent that the dis
ease sprang from the -four, skillful chemist
was set to analyze 1t, when it was found that
the lead could be discerned with the naked
eye, and the microscope revealed it in large
quantities. After these tests, all the -four
which had come from Marsh's mill was imme-
diately returned to him and the mill ceased
running, but the mischief was already done,
the seed had been sown and the fruit was
coming forth at an alarming rate; the young
and old were stricken down, those who were
afflicted with any chronic disease being the
greatest sufferers. A great many children
have died and numbers of adults. The Tri-
bune puts the whole number of cases reported
at 243.
Scores of men who few weeks ago were in
the full enjoyment of health and strength are
ruined for lfe and totter to and fro, their faces
having the appearance of dry parchment; their
eyes sunken and encircled by a dark ring; their
lips blue, their muscles contracted and their
limbs distorted; for them to move is intense
pain; relapse follows relapse till in time they
succumb to the effects of the fearful malady.