New-York tribune., 1886-04-27
SEAMEN POISONED BY TEA.
EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN WRIGHT.
.u, svp,xcA,s MASTER. NATE AND CREW AFFECT.

THE sYRINGAs MASTER. MATE AND CREW AFFECT
EDDY AN IMPURE ARTICLE.
Dr Cvrus Edson and Professor Waller, of the
Health Department, are examining some tea when when
AZ believed recently to have caused serious illness
ON board the bark Syringa, of st: Johns. \. d.
Carain James Wright. which sailed from Brnns-
ago bound for Hamburg. Before the vessel had
been long out OF sight of land. Captain Wfleht a!u
several of his crew were violently attachea Win thn
darrhGa. The persons who suffered most weie .no .
captain his brother William. who was nrst ilate;
aud the steward one Clark. Fortunately the second
mate was not i'll. amd the sailors were anec'ou ~
lightly that thev were able TO perform theli
duties When the Syringa reached Hamburg .ll9
troubles OF the Wrights disappeared ne "io"" io
mate lett them there. and German TOOK ms p"Voc p
The cargo of oil barrels was eNchaheeu 10, Wv WI
fertilizers and the SvTnga started ior NcW- ioIh. IN,
Hardly had the vessel sot 10 sea "s' d a
captain. first mate and steward were at'ackeu a.
before Soon several sailors suffered IN turn, p4I
the Wrights and Clark were the siekest; Whlie
the German second mate was not atiecteu al an;
Cantoin Wright examined ali the food, but could
net find any which appeared 10 ne damaged. a
length he began To suspect the tea. whlch ne hau
nut on board at Brunswick. Ga. tie remelhberc1
that his second mate on the outward voyage hau
not taken much tea and the German also was not
fond OF tea. Members of the crew dd not eet
strong tea, while the steward drank from the hrs'
drawings !. ,.., J..
suspect the tea he made most alarming discovery
his eyesight was failing rapidly HIS brothel ana
the steward were troubled in the same way ana LOT
n time il appeared rs if all three would become
blind. film spread over the pupil of each eye ana
at length Captain Wright was not able to read ~ hiS
instruments. AS his brother was ahccted IN .Hc
same way and the German cOnd not make the
necessary reckonings, the Svrlnga was stcelea
principally by gueSswOrk during the remainder Oh
The VOYAGE Captain Wright had two pet rabbits
on board and he offered some tea leaves to theni'
They ate them ana died in few minutes. captain
Wright ordered that no more tea be gwen 10 any
one on board the vessel. Afterward the sufferers
improved somewhat, but the dimness OF sls mt dlu
not wear away. The Syrlnea reached TINS port
on April Ii, seventy-two days after leaving 'iam-
burg. - r,o Who
The Wriehts went TO see Or. j. O. TansIey, VINO
found that their eyes were much lnuamed Inc men
could not see at distance OF a lew fcet opJecctS
which they could have seen 200 feet away HNe
months ago Dr Tansley sent sample OF the Tea
to DR.. Edson. Captain Wrghts weight had Sl Deen
decreased from $50 pounds to about 100 pouhds'
His wife who came from their home in Maine TO
meet him in this city did not rerognize hin at irst'
The tea is of poor quality and may contain polson
Dr Edison went to COinulunlpaw, where the Syringa
lies Yesterday afternoon TO examine otheI aItctes
ON board He said he recently had got track OF
neN adulteration in food and he might ma on the
vessel something to confirm suspicion that II was
NOT tea which had caused the diarrhGa and blind