The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-14
DEATH IN SODA WATER BOTTLES.
Slow Poison Formed on the Lead
Which Holds the Rubber Washers.


From, the NsiO York sun.
There has been considerable alarm in
Newark recently over the prevalence of
lead poisoning, and several physicians
attributed the numerous cases to king
ale or lager drawn from lead pipes, and
soda water or other similar drinks FROM
bottles viii IN had been cleaned with shot
or which were closed with lead shoppers
Drs. II. c. II. Herold and II. 7. Herold I'M
dertook an investigation, in which they
were materially aided by one Of the largest
manufacturers of mineral waters in this
city. DR.. Herold first examined a number
of bottles of soda water, and to his sur
prise discovered traces of lead in the re-
siduum after evaporating the contents of
the bottles where does it come fromp
he asked, and then directed his attention to
the metal discs which confine a rubber
washer in the necks of the bottles. He
found two grades of these shoppers. One
grade bore the stamp of the maker, and,
upon analysis, IL was found to be made of
composition, 42.4 of lead. The other grade,
| which was not stamped, was made almost
wholly of lead. the proportion Of that metal
being $50 per cent. In making a report of
the csSe to the board of health, DR.. Herold
said:
Under the circumstances it is obvious
what the result would be when the soda
water and stopper were BROUGHT into con-
tact. The excess of oarbonic acid would act
upon the stopper and form an insoluble car
Donate of lead This can be demonstrated
by examining the shoppers. A white de-
post will be found upon that part of the
stopper which comes in contact with the
soda water. This is the carbonate of lead
referred to. Now the action of the carbonic
acid continues and redissolves the carbonate,
and thus what was at first an inoccuous car
| Donate becomes a bi-carbonate of lead.
| This, an accumulative poison, taken into
| the system, would, were one to drink very
few bottles of soda each day impregnated
with it, soon produce marked symptoms of
| lead poisoning"
DR.. Herold took also a dozen new bottles
| and filled them with aqueduct water, and
another dozen and had them filled with car
donated water. The bottles were left lying
| on ther sides for two days, and then ex-
amined. The result was as follows: One
dozen bottles of aqueduct water contained
0. 80 grains Of metallic lead, and the dozen
| bottles Of distilled water charged with car
| bonic acid gas, revealed q. 40 grains. These
bottles were stopped with the best grade of
shoppers, and the doctor thinks the showing
would have been much greater had the
| bottles with the cheaper grade of shoppers
| been used, and also that in the experiment
he tried the result would have been much
moro striking 1t the bottles had been ex-
posed to the action of the liquids a greater
length of time. He examineda number of
settler siphons, and found them free from
| lead.
He made also an extended examination
of the cooler pipes in saloons, and found
that many of them were pure lead, instead
OF block tin. This, he said was a Standing
menace to health, as many cases of poison
ing had been traced directly to beer drawn
through lead pipes. He thinks that there is
little danger to be unprecedented from drink
log acqueduct water drawn through lead
pipes unless the water is allowed to stand in
the pipes, aud that the greatest source of
danger in Newark lies in the use of water
from wells, of which there are at least l 500
In the city, some of them within 8 and 10
feet OF cesspools and vaults. His analysis
proves to'him that the "cold, clear, spark
ing well water contains in its limpid beauty
the death-dealing elements, which cannot
be removed by filtering," aud he urges upon
the board of health the necessity of filing
up or closing the wells without delay.