Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-31
MADE BLUE BY MEDICINE.

fair grounds, in Kansas City, is blue-black
man, an uncanny, hideous shade that seems
as though his skin had first been drained
of all blood and smeared with dye. When
one comes to look at him closely the pecu-
liar shade in photograph is irresistibly
called to mind. His face looks almost ex-
actly like Photographic proof that is near
ly faded out.
Even the eyeballs and lips partake Of the
discoloration. The balls of the former are
dusky blue and the latter dark purple.
Against his skin reddish beard forms a
strange contrast The name of this singular
being is Thomas White. His color is the
result of taking nitrate of silver as a medi-
cine, and he is living example of cruel
penalty that science imposes for desper-
ate cure.
A star reporter, whose curiosity overcame
his hesitancy at approaching SO delicate a
subject, strolled across through the clover
field and engaged White in conversation.
"Will tell you about myself?" said he,
II don't mind. Twenty-Five years ago
yes, more, for it was good deal before the
war Il suffered terribly from epileptic fits.
had one every day or two and was rapid
ly losing my mind. could remember
nothing, got so weak and thin / could
scarcely get around, and was dying by inch
es. About that time Judge Taller, who
used to be big man here, and was subject
to epilepsy, told me that nitrate of silver,
taken internally, would cure me. He had
used it himself, and it had turned his skin
black, Just as you see mine now, only per-
haps worse. He was curiosity all around,
and I used to be afraid to look at him.
"The idea Of getting that way turned me
- al, Lt hn, T rofh RI
than use the stuff The fits, though, got to
coming SO fast and so bad that saw Would
probably die anyhow, and made up my
mind to begin with it. My mother, though,
would not hear of my taking it. had a
good white skin then, and the notion of my
turning black was more than she could
stand. At last, though, she saw how things
were and gave her consent.
"Then I began to take the medicine.
got it put up in pills of three-quarters of
grain each, and would take three or four
of them day. don't know how long I
kept that up. It would be impossible to
tell. 1t was for months, thought guess
years. For a long time there was no change
very slowly. At first you could hardly
notice it at all. Then it got deeper and
deeper. 1t seemed as though it took all
color away with it, and folks used to say at
first that looked pale and wouldn't notice
the black at all. 1t came so gradually that
1 had chance to get used to it, and also
those around me, SO it wasn't so hard.
People told me that it would affect me bad
when got old, but never felt any injury
from it except the staining of my skin. /
have rheumatism, and strong light makes
my eyes trifle weak, but Pm tifty-six years
old now and might feel so anyhow. Judge
Taller died, folks said, from the medicine,
but it has never hurt me-"
"How did it affect the fits ?'
"It stopped them. finally began to
taper off on the nitrate of silver, and got it
down to grain day, and finally grain
week. l have taken none now for about
two years, Once, years ago, / thought l
was completely cured, and took none for
eighteen months, but the fits came back,
and began again on it at once, and the
medicine checked them, IWould have sure
ly been dead had it not been for it, and
now am tolerably stout for man of my
age, and have a wife and four children"
"Were you married."
eyes," he replied, quickly, anticipating
the question II was married after the col
oring began. 1 was engaged to be married
before commenced to take the medicine,
and-well, she didn't abandon me because
1 grew ugly to look at. My mind came
back again, and would rather have the blue
skin thousand times over than the dis
ease" e."-KanSas city iSttir.