, 1866-06-06


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 be e1-
ported 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 theze
This Eas an old set, constantly needing re-
pairs, and large cavities frequently manifest
ted themselves, which, instead of be-
Ing filled up with the cement gen.
orally used for that purpose. we're
filled with common lead. Some Of these
holes were as large as hens egT, one, we are
informed. being as large as the palm Of q
mans hand. II, when filed, the lead pro-
| jected above the sur1aca of the stone, 1t WIS
| hammered down level. They were then i'd
| justed, the grain Was run In, and the motion
began and was gradually increased until
course The attritlon caused i,y this velocity
detached particles Of lead from the stone and
mingled htm almost imperceptiblJ with th c
/ flour. Eakh moment increased the amount,
so that to every pound Of flour there was
enough lead impaired to make small buck
shot. With the enormous business Of NJ.
Mnrsh, the reader can imagine how much
lead was beng distributed throughout the
surrounding country, to be absorbed into the
systems OF those who partook Of the -four. :
The lead in this form was comparatively
harmless, but when fermented aud subjected
to the baking process It was Immediately
transformed into carbonate Of lead-the dead.
htes Of ali lead poisons. Bread Of this kind
was but little better than bread spread With
white lead as . substitute for butter.
Were It not for the fact that the lead was
taken. in such large quantities az to produce
counter state Of action, hundreds would have
died before the cause could be discovered.
AS soon .as It became apparent that the
disease sprapg from the bread of which the
sufferers had partakeu. Dr.. Darrance and sfr.
Kink, a very skiltul chemist OF Middleton, at
once determined to analyze the lour. Sam
Pies were procured and to their as
tonishment they found that the lead
eye. Next, microscope revealed it
beyond doubt, and as still further proof
1t was subjected to some six standard tests,
each one showing the presence OF lead In
large quantities. After these tests, all the
9our which had come from alarsh's mill was
ceased running, but the mischief was already
done, the seed Ind been sown and the fruit
Was coming forth at m nlarmiug rate;
the young aud old were stricken down, those
Who were Inflicted With chrome diseases be-
i7g the greatest sufferers. Of course panic
busy day and night. I do not care to pain
your readers with o recital Of the terrible
agonies endured by these unfortunate people,
but the scenes throughout q radius Of IRON
twenty to thirty miles OF the country were
truly heartrending. Only those who have
the Inward fires which were consuming the
patients, or the agonizing cramps that
contracted every muscle OF their weakened
frames.
Fortunately, the bakers Of the place had
purchased their flour from the Western
d much greater extent. Many otthe grocers,
as we'll as pirate families, were in the habit
Of obtaining their supplies regularly from
the mill, aud Of course all who ased them
were Inflicted.
To-day have visited most Of the leading
ment Of the number u cases treated by each
from the middle Of March to the present
time:
p palrsnee. p. Smiley, aoout: ....se
Pr 7asasn. Essssls pr. Wright abou'...4s
Ur. Brsdner {teveEe).. . .a1a
This only Includes The region In the imme-
dlase vicinity Of Middleton, and does not
informed that there have been over 100
cases In that nefgnborhood. One of the sad
cases here is that Of Col. Wtckham, Justice Of
the Peace, and his wife. lie will probably
never recover fully from the effects, and Mrs.
Wickham, who has for long time been In
delicate health, Is wasting away to the grave
4 well-known employe Of the Erie Railroad
Company has died from Its effects. A child
Of DR.. johnson has also a1ed. This case was
very, peculiar one. It appears that the
child had been fed upon the milk OF new
milch COW, which usually gave a quarts Of
child was affected strangely, but at the
time nothing was thonght OF It's
symptoms. About this time Tie milk began
TO fall and no cause could be assigned. Or.
johnson partook freely Of gruel made from
the milk Of this cow aud meal prepared at
Ma1sh's mill. After taking It be 7omited
The child being fond Of thegruel 1t was given
to her, and after eating 1t she was seized
with convulsfons at Intervals. and despite all
the medical skill employed, died. The meal
was lead poisoned and so was the milk. ior
the COW was fed upon feed ground at Marsh's
mill. The COW, having failed In milk, was
sold and has been lost trace Of
could I'LL two pages Of your paper with
facts which have obtained here to-day in
relation TO this peculiar case OF Wholesale
poisoning. I am informed that large guam
tisy Of the poisoned flour has been sent
TO New York City to. be made into
starch. If 1t had been made INTO that article
we are safe; bnt If spectators have placed
it 10 the market for sale We shall soon sec the
effects. At any rate It IL the dnty Of the
Board of Health to take some steps TO aseer-
tain If that -four Ia in the market now.
There are seyen cases Of poisoning by this
Scores Of men who few weeks ago were
in the full enjoyment Of health and strength
are ruined for life, and tottcr to aud fro, their
faces having the appearance Of dry pareh-
mcnt their eyes snnken and cncfrclcd by
dark ring their lips blue, their muscles con-
tracted and their limbs distorted; for them
to move is intense pain relapse follows re-
lapse, till in time they succumb to tho elects
oil this fearful maladY