The San Francisco call., 1909-03-03
[Speciol Dispoteh 10 The Cali

Especial Dispatch 10 The Cali
OAKLAND. AIarclz. 2.-Poisoped by
carbon paper which she handled in
operating a typewriter. in the Ala
media county shaI Of records. Miss Eliz--
abeth \ Rosve, for IS.'nlontlrs county.
employe. is new confined to her home
in Reno. New. .sbffeping terrible agony
and facing possible invalidisrn for the
rest Of her life. After bearing up for
I'VE months under fearful pains and
the pitiless raxages Of h. mysterious
disease the young woman was forced
last week TO repinquish her position
and return 70 her home IN Reno. ;. After
the ailment had stubbornTy resisted
treatment an expert, who Iearned the
nature Of the girls employment dag.
nosed that she was suffering from
poison that came from the dyed mani
fold paper. which Is used. by twists
Physicians in. California and Nevada
are alarmed over the. possibilities. of
this complaint. which threatens. hun
dreds OF girls employed at type writ
DISEASE EASILY TAKEN
Dr. O. d. Hamlin, CHEF surgeon al
the county hospital. a member. Of. the
city board of health. and q .Soutberri
Pacific company surgeon. agreed today
with the Nevada specialist that a
poison could be contracted from car
bon paper He sai5s
II can readily be seen that a pois0n
can be communicated from carbon
paper. Carbon paper comes in manv
coiors and the coloring is done BIZ the
application of aniline- dyes. THESE
dyes are coal tar derivatives. which
are in themselves. poisonous. The. per.
nicious coloring matter may enter the.
system through a small abrasion m.
chapped surface on the hand and then
certainly would affect the health of
the victim IT is also possible that
the poisonous particles could be taken
into the mouth by the person wetting
a finger after picking up or handling
a sheet or the. paper. The effect of
those dyes might. manifest itself in
several ways. II would be very severe.
even fatal. A case has. never come di
rectly under my observation and the
history Of the injection would have to
be very carefully followed out before
positive opinion could be advanced.
But that carbon paper could poison a
person IS no matter for doubt in my
mind"
GIRL SUFFERS TERRIBLY
Miss Royess. -exper1 renee with the
menace that confronts. every typewriter
operator was a cruel ordeal She en-
tered the recorders Office IN August.
1907, a hale. healthy girl, without an
ailment- Her dexterity commended her
10 the attention OF the Office
After several months OF employment.
her friends noticed a gradual change in
the young woman's condition. The girl
bravely kept at her werk and made
light Of her troubles. but the disease
increased in malignffy, and finally the
fearful torture drove thee girl from her
desk
PATHOLOGY OF CASE
The pathology Of the case was curl
Gus. Miss Rowe's throat owas first af-
fected. as If she had contracted fl,e
poison from her finger as she recur-
rantly wet IL and handled the highly
dyed tissue. She was troubled alter
nately with swelling and hoarseness.
During the period she suffered intense
pain when she would turn her head
Electrical treatment, such as is given
sufferers from enlarged tonsils, failed
permanently 10 alleviate the young
woman's suffering. Following the in
tense sore throat Miss Rowe's eyes be-
came sadly afflicted They became
bloooshot and presented the appearance
Of a mass OF tangled and distended
veins. A plague of boils next afflicted
the young woman and then her weak
ened frame was subjected to the wrack-
ing pains of rheumatism
The bitter experience had a fearful
effect on the girl Her friends insisted
that she leaves Oakland and return to
her parents home at Reno.
When Miss Rowe's mother saw the
pitiful condition Of her daughter she
took the girl TO an expert in skin and
throat diseases. To him the girl told
Of her employment at the typewriter
from $3.50 O'Clock in athe morning to 6
clock IN the evening, and of the thou
sands Of sheets Of carbon paper she
handled eachs week
Instantly the specialist decided that
the disease could be traced to the man
fold paper which the girl had used.
DOCTORS ALL AGREE
The members Of the medical frater-
nifty who have heard Of Miss Rowe's
case fully appreciate the accuracy OF
the Reno doctors diagnosis Of the com
plant. Or. Hamlin is but one of sew
eral physicians who have discussed the
case today. The question of carbon
paper poisoning viii probably be one of
the subjects for discussion at the next
session Of the Alameda county medical
association. The virulent character of
the attack Miss Rowe suffered and the
complication OF disorders which she ex-