The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-26
MARY D0UGHERTY'S DEATH.
POISONED TT1H prCRfC .tCTD Nv MfK-
ING LRTiIfCJfJ ILOUERS.
Four Other Girls ssid to have been Fatally
Poisoncd- tfow the Employees Of the ArtI-
fetal Flower Factories have bcen Affected.

Poisoncd-tfow the Employees Of the AriI-
1cini Flower Factories have been Affected.
Mary Ann Doughcrty, n bright. palc-faccd
girl of thirteen summers. fell sick on Friday
morning last in her home ut | Montgomery
street. On Saturday morning she told Dr. Will
liam J. Wclcl OF 2l1 Henry street that four
other girls who were flower makers like her
self. had bocn fatally poisoned by the Paris
green on the green leaves which they handled.
Tho girls hands were stained bright yellow,
and the upper part OF her forehead and the hair
Immediately above it OF the same color.
Tho Doctor examined her carefully. Ilcrtonguc
wns dry IA was also the arynx. She had an
unqucnchnblc thirst. accompanied by nausea.
She had darrhra Her pulse wns very feeble.
and under the slightest excitement. ard even
when she was moved in her bed its boats rose
to a hieh fever iatc-l5D minute. Tho Doctor
pronounced It case Of suffering from arsenic.
which had pormcated the girls system.
Paris green Is arscnitc of copper. The Doc
tor gave his patient dialyzcd iron as an aniidotc
to any arsenic that might be in her stomach.
hopinl that the poison in h"r systcr might he
eradicnicd by the eTnrts of nature. She died at
about so'"lo >; the nest morning.
Tue DO'iur reported tu the Board ol Health
Yesterday that the primary caus" of death VIZ,
the absorption of ar,cnitn of copper. ami the
secondary caus" was t'phnid condition, re-
sult.ng from the poisoning. The health author
ties referred the "asc TO Coroner EAing r..
Yesterday afternoon Deputy Coroner Gold
schmicdt made post-mortcm examination.
All the organs were found in good condition
except the lungs and the stomach. Tho lungs
were solidiirf to some GNtrnt. and the stomach
WIS slightly inilaned. lu the burial certiii'at"
he gave rs the cause OF death subacue gastritis,
Induced. as supposed. by the absorption and
inhalation Of arspnitc Of copper.
All that the stomach contained WIS deep
green liquid with somo s'dimcntnry deposit IN
The girls mother told Dr Godschmicdt that
Mary Ann hnd been worsing in the establish
mcnt OF Straus. Blan.hi \ Co.. importers of
artificial flowers. 5i7 Broadway. since August
hearty: hut within the last two months Sh" lost
= great deal Of flesh, and comnnlned Of pain
| in her side. This pain was attributed 70 iall
| in crossing the Bowcry at Grand street IN the
latter part OF January. On Thursday night last
she was in good spirits. DURING IN" evening
she played with her father, chasing him round
| the house with a broomstick. In the morning
she felt III. and said she would not 90 to the
let her 10 nj all. Later IN tn" dav she
complained of pain IA her stomach.
| NEVERTHELESS sh" eot up and prepared 10 Lo 10
work. hut did not 20 out Of tho house. On SIT
| urday morning she VIZ ieverlsh. and ron-
planned of nausea. After tNkiug Or. Wnl'l =
pres .rirtion she felt batter for short tinr liy
! the Doctors orders the mother gave her some
milk punch. She throw this from her stomach.
with green liquid. Aiterward she grew worst.
and on Sunday morning. although she did not
complain Of any pain her iae looked eln.hed.
| was dying. She seemed to bc gong iato a
| browse, and then she died.
| A. the girl lay in irr coffin yesterday her
| hands yet had the bright yellow stain. The
undertaken had removed it from her forehead
aud hair. On the nd of the coffin lay a wreath
OF snow-whlte artificial nowers intermnslcd
MIR. Bianchi. of the firm Of Straus Bianchi k
Co. says that no Paris green IS used IL his inc-
tory. Its nse was discontinued BECAUSE II I'M
peried life Hr uses many coloring substances.
but he is positive that all hut one Of them are
free from poison. He knows this. because they
r..
or made from saffron and other vegetable sub
stancrs The ono exception, he says is pierre.
or this he cannot speak positively. but he
infers that IL IL not poisonops. because the
men who dye the leayes thN are haadle;d
In the liquid dye itself. ono of these men 81 q
that he would have no ohi' ction. # coinlcusated
for the Inconvenience. to baihln.; in the dye.
Mr. Bihncli explained last evening that the
work that little Mary Ann had been employed
al was making piqurts. \ KIND a. dried naiu-
raj grass. wih q small Hpwer-lke h.ad. u
bought in bundles. This L. OF dun drah.
After II is dipped in the yellow picrlc dye 1t
takes n bright color. like gre,n hay After It 5
dried il Is given In girls. and they tir IT up in
small graceful bunrhes, 10 he attached Ia
branches as foil to The brightcr-coorei flow
ers These bunchc- are called pigucts.
the clee d iae table, 4 iiific cloud ot dust ncw
ont uf il. Tins dust. whon inhaled. gave out an
| odor resembling that of dried hay.
About - girls are working IN the shop, and
Mr. Bianchi says thai none of his girls have
died within year; The only ease oi uenih was
that of II woman who died Of consumption. ie
buys his picrc Of ii. hohnstamm 4 Go. Of %
Chambers street.
Miss Kntc Young. the forewoman Of Straus.
Bianchi 4 Co. : factory, says that Mary Ann
died of starvation; taut she had no appetite.
and did not take sufficient nourishm.ni.
\ salesman for H. kohnstamm 4 Co. saws
that the plrrir sold Ia flower nnkers Is pirric
ncid. and is undoubtedly Il poison. The Unto!
States Disp"nsatory defines picric acid rs tri-
nitro-carholic acid. and adds tnat in large doses
II Is POISONOUS. ten grains ot II being sufficient
TO Kill IA dog in two hours. II is sold in the i.rIn
Of pale yellow shining scalr- IL gives water "A
strong yellow color and very bitter taste. 1t Is
made from coal tar and nitric acid II j. some
times used as "A medicine instead of quniur.
The dose IL from one-quartrr to one-hali n
grain three times dny. A'icr about fifteen
grains have been taken the skin OF the patient
begins 10 grow yellow.
Mary killdull of 30 Goerck street. an en-
ployo. IN the factory. says that there are only
two tables at which piluets are made il j.
dusty work. and Is given To- learners. The dust
of the grass, which is loaded with the yellow
dye, often rises 10 their nostrlls and some girls
tie clotn over their faces anu around their fore
heads 80 that their faces may not gt yellow.
The yellow on the forchcads and hair She at
tributes 10 their brushing back the hair with