Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-02
Poisonous Shoe Dyes.

10 the Editor or the journal OF
the American Medical Association:
Recently I reported series of II
cases of cyanosis due to methemo-
globinemia caused by poisoning by a
shoe dye. All these cases occurred
at Camp Johnston, Florida. Seven of
the II men gave history Of having
had their shoes or their puttees
dyed the day they became cyanottc,
or of having worn newly dyed shoes
and putteeS on that day. One other
man who had been cyanotic several
weeks before he was interviewed as
serted that his shoes were dyed after
he left the hospital. Six OF the other
nine men who had gone overseas
and whose history could, not be OBJ
tanned at the last writing have been
heard from and have given a positive
history. The evidence against the
shoe dye was convincing, both from
the experimental poisoning of white
mice and of several men volunteers,
and from the chemical examination
Of dye, which showed the presence
Of nitrobenzene or some compound
containing the grouping. Most OF the
cases of poisoning at Camp JOINS
ton were in recently commissioned
SLUu6IlL
their canvas puttees for leather put
tees worn by officers. In order to
make the light colored tan shoes
furnished by the Quartermaster's
department match the dark oolored
leather puttees worn by officers, the
shoes and sometimes both shoes and
puttees were dyed by special brown
oily preparation. In all but one OF
the Camp Johnston cases the dye
was applied at a certain boot-black
stand in Jacksonville. In one case,
however, the dye was bought of
we'll known shoe firm in Jackson
VILE. which has branch stores in
all the large cities, fact which
made me curious to know whether
similar cases Of Observation-Disclosures
had not occurred at other camps.
Through the kindness of Major
w, w. Herrick, M. c.. chief of the
medical service at Camp Jackson, 5.
c., who told me of an unexplained
case of oyanosis at the base hospital
at Camp Jackson, and who investi-
gated the case at my request with
reference to possible poisoning from
a shoe dye, / am able to furnish the
history:
officers ward OF the base hospital Of
Camp Jackson, s. G., July IS, 1918, had
been told by a friend that his face and
lips were blue. little later he had
nausea and headache, but did not feel
bad enough to go to bed. Later his
friends insisted that ne consult a physi-
clan on account OF his strange color At
$3.50 p. M on admission to the hospital
there were headache, nausea, vomiting
and extreme cyanosis. The pulse was fire.
quent, weak, and OF low pressure. The
heart sounds were feeble. The skin was
very cyanotic, cold and sweating. The
patient was exhausted, vomited, and COM
planned OF headache. The heart rate was
100 and regular There was slight sys.
tollc murmur over the precordia, not
transmitted. There were a few sibilant
and suhcrepitant rales at the right upper
anterior chest, with relative dulness at
the angle OF the right scapula. The rest
Of the physical examination was negative
on the following morning the patient felt
very much better. The cyanosis disap-
peared in about 70 hours. No chemical
tests were made. The diagnosis was
'heat exhaustion and acute indigestion"
Jan. 8, 1918, Major Herrick received the
following letter from the patient, who
had been honorabiy discharged and was
practicing dentistry IN West Virginia:
II am pleased 20 say that I did use a
dye on my shoes and puttees the evening
before l was taken to the base hospital
at Gimp jackson. I do not know the
name Of the dye I was using, but 1t was
bought from the S17th r. A. Canteen."
It is evident from the report OF
these cases that the use of russell
shoe dyes is dangerous; even those
dyes that are guaranteed odorless"
can produce market cyanosis. Shoes
and puttees should not be worn for
three or four days after they have
been dyed, and they should never be
dyed while worn. The orange colored
cleaning liquids and the russell pastes
for polishing are harmless and may
be safely and freely used
RICHARD e. STIFEL, M. D.,
Camp Johnston, Jacksonville, Fla.
Captain NJ. c., U. S. Army; Chief of
Laboratory, Base Hospital.