The record-union., 1898-07-24
THIS IS A CORKER.
A Klondiker's Skin Full OF
Gold

Superintendent Woodson of State
Lunatic Asylum No. 2 at ST. Joseph
No, recently received into the institu-
ton for treatment a patient whose
case is without a precedent in medical
annals. 1t may also have a deterrng
effect upon some of those who are
madly seeking to join the exodus to
the Alaska gold fields at the sacrifice
of every other interest.
ABE" Boyle, the patient, went to
Alaska in the summer of 1896, and
succeeded in reaching Circle City in
September of that year. When the
news Of the big strike at Dawson City
reached the camp he was one of the
first to set out for the Klondike dig
gings. He spent the winter months in
underground mining, the output Of
which was to be washed away when ice
broke on the Yukon in the spring.
He was moderately successful, but
his claim was one of the few from
which the nuggets and coarse gold had
to a considerable extent, been carried
lower down the creek, while the wash
ing from above left the gravel heavily
impregnated with what is known as
flour gold.' This is the finest form
taken on by the yellow metal. There
is no known method of saving flour
gold" which will escape over the quick
silver plates of stamp mill in spite
of all efforts to capture it.
Boyle during the summer of 1897,
when the first great bonanza strikes
were reported from the Klondike plac-
ers, was much of the time immersed
to the waist in the waters of the Yu-
kon. The ice that comes down from
above is rich with gold absorbed from
the sands of the shallow streams. The
cakes get aground on bar, and, as
they melt, deposit their treasure. 1t is
in this way that placers are sometimes
formed The alert miner then washes
the sand from the bar and obtains his
reward.
Boyle washed the gravel from his
own claim on one of these bars, hop
ing to reap a double harvest Beng
in the water constantly. his body seems
to have accomplished what no inven-
ton of man has yet done for. through
the pores of his skin, there was alb
sorbed an incredible quantity of flour
gold" He was seized with what he
thought was rheumatism, but kept on
with his work until his limbs became
unmanageable. 1t was as if ossifica-
ton. if not putrefaction, had set in.
His condition gradually spread up
ward, and he lost his appetite and
eventually became a victim Of demen-
tia
There being no physician in the camp
capable of handling the case, he was
sent to the States in charge of friend,
who kept him for several months at
his old home in Lander, Wyo His con-
dition did not improve, even under a
course of treatment at the Saratoga
CWyo.) hot springs, and he was finally
taken to Laramie, Wyo.
There Dr. William II. Harris. an old
army surgeon, made careful examin-
alton of Boyle. and thought he had To-
Gated the source of his trouble. He re-
solved upon an experiment to test the
correctness of his theory. Boyle was
given temporary lodgings in Turkish
bathhouse, and was submitted to a
treatment in which the medicine admin
istered consisted largely of mercury,
which, as is we'll known, will carry
from the human body every alien and
poisonous matter.
When he had been there about week,
being dosed constantly with mercury,
Boyle was given thorough Turkish
bath, being kept in the sweating-roo