Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-09-13
Disease and Death in a Hair Mattress
Mandatory,

A disease of most malignant type,
and one which has not been brought
into wide public notice, has been de-
veloped to an alarming extent at Hyde
Park, and emanates from hair in its
raw state from the animal. A few
years ago Glover u Wilcomb, curled-
hair manufacturers, removed their fac
tory from Walpole to Hyde Park, for
reasons best known to themselves.
Their establishment is located on Cen
trail Park avenue, between Readville
and Hyde Park proper, where an eX-
tensive business in the manufacture of
curled hair, to be used for mattresses
and upholstery work, is done. Hints
that the nature of the material in its
raw state is poisonous and unhealthy
for operatives to handle have been
prevalent, but not of sufficient founda-
ton to obtain the public ear through
the newspapers. About two years ago
family of three persons employed in
the factory died from blood-poisoning.
They were Thomas Welch, Sr., and
Thomas, Jr., and daughter. They
were attended in their sickness by DR..
Fogg, of Norwood. These deaths again
brought up the question of the quality
of the hair material and how to check
or cure the diseases emanating from it,
but after time the excitement among
the employees died out, and was not re-
newed until some five weeks ago, when
a cargo of hair which came from Siberia
was noticed by expert employees to be
diseased, and they refused TO work it.
The company then took it away, and
said they had sent it back to New York :;
but short time thereafter some of the
Siberian hair was discovered mixed
with good hair, which comes from
South America. An employe named
Harrington made the discovery and eX-
claimed: "Bounce, boys; this is some
of that Siberian hair!" He was dis
charged, and some of the employees are
ungrateful enough to assert that this
hair had never been sent back to the
firm, but mixed with the South Ameri-
can. However this may be, it is GER
tain that one of the girls at work on
the hair was taken sick two weeks ago
her name being Margaret Donley, re,
siding Mt Dedham. She was first at
tended by DIR. w. G. Ware, who treated
her for diphtheria; but subsequently
DR.. Fogg, of Norwood, being calleC
and having had number of such cases
pronounced it blood-poison. The CIR
died in great agony, with the sam,
e symptoms rs hydrophobia, having to b,
/ held in bed by four stout men. TIL,
} Globe reported it as a case of blood
a poisoning, but on DR.. Ware stating tha
she died from diptheria, his decision
4 was givel. This death caused som
. anguish in the factory, and the suspi
cious feeling of poisoning returned u
q the minds of the help; but, soothed b.
the report of DIR. William &. Ware
a they attended to their work until las
!. Saturday evening, when another 0
e their number, Melvina Mcguire, wa
d taken sick. DIR. Hayes, of Hyde Park
o treated her for sore throat, but upo
being informed of the suspicious c
IS blood poisoning DR., Fogg, of Norwood
was called. Upon seeing Miss Maguir
If he exelaimed; You ought TO hay
9 sent for me before this" and immed
n ately applied the remedies for bloc
}. poisoning. The girls who were en-
il ployed in the room with Miss Maguir
% refused to work yesterday, and all wer