The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1941-02-14
Poison Found In
Blood Bank Plasrna
Bound for Britain
Plot Is Suspected and All
Shipments for War
Victims Guarded.

NEW YORK.-Following the dis
covery that deadly poison had
found its way into blood bank"
plasma destined for British war vic
tins, close guard has been placed
on all such shipments, it was re-
vealed here by confidential source.
From the same source, it was
learned that the poison was discov-
cred in time to prevent its doing
any damage, and that a thorough
check-system has been instituted to
forestall further happenings of the
kind.
1t was also emphasized that, while
sabotage was suspected, it had not
been established as fact, and that
the poison might have been intro
duced into the serum by accident
However, the nature of the poison
potassium cyanide-was regarded
as pointing toward sabotage. Po-
tassium cyanide, it was pointed out,
is not included in the pharmaceu-
teal supplies of hospitals, and is
used nowhere in the preparation of
the serum.
New Care Is Taken.
No official confirmation of the re-
port was obtainable from the vari-
Gus agencies concerned in the ham
ding of the blood-plasma for ship
ment abroad. 1t was admitted, how
ever, that new precautions had been
taken to prevent tampering with the
fluid
The donations, which have come
from all classes of society, include
many pints of "blue blood" from
social registerites. More than 5000
had donated their pint of blood each
recently, and hundreds of others
had registered for their turn to help
war victims in this unique way.
Police and the Federal Bureau of
investigation were reported to be
pressing an inquiry into the poison
mystery.
The poison used is one of the most
deadly and instantaneous known to
chemistry. Even minute quantity,
introduced into the veins of a pa
tient, would cause immediate death
The blood bank activities are
under the direction of the American
Red Cross, in cooperation with the
blood TRANSMISSION betterment bureau
of New York and several hospitals
which are contributing services of
nurses and technicianS.
Hospitals Are Warned.
Hospitals where transfusions are
made have been warned to examine
carefully into the nationality and af-
fillationS of every person-donor,
doctor, nurse and technician-who
has contact with the blood bank. "
They were also cautioned to lock
containers and refrigerators in
which the blood is kept until sent
TO the central storehouse where the
blood is held for shipment abroad,
and TO see that only one or two thor
ouehly trustworthy persons had
keys.
The refrigerated truck, which car
rieS the pooled fluid from the hos
pitfalls to the storehouse, was put
under guard.
The security methods now en-
ployed also include secrecy as to the
location of the storehouse. All that
has been made public is that it is
at point convenient to ocean ship
ping.
The refrigerator in the storehouse
wherein the pooled blood plasma is
kept for seven days is locked. There
is only one key to the locks-and
only one person in New York has
the key. The identity of that per
son is also a subject about which
the Red Cross is more than reticent
A final checkup Of the pooled blood
by medical specialists is now con-
Quoted under the scrutiny of Red
Cross technicians who are deter
mined that there shall be no repeti-
ton of the poison incident.