accidental Use of IVhite Lead. 97 



sent into the country had probably been taken out of the 

 middle of the cask, and had never come in contact with 

 the lead ; w hilst that which was used by the family, having 

 been taken from the side, was impregnated with this metal, 

 and doubtless was the source of the fatal events described. 



Of nine persons in this family, who were more or less 

 indisposed, four died, and the etTccts of the poison appear 

 to have been nearly in the ratio of their respective ages. 



The infant, fifteen months old, was attacked and expired 

 within the space of twenty-four hours ; the child six years 

 of age survived a fortnight ; Mrs, R., aged forty, lingered 

 three months before the fatal event took place ; and the 

 niother-in-lavv, aged sixty-seven, died four months after the 

 attack. 



The symptoms in each were very similar. The vomit- 

 ing, pain in the stomach, and costiveness, marked the at- 

 tack of the disease; and the soreness of the epigastric re- 

 gion in those who recovered was not removed by medicine, 

 but seemed rather gradually to wear away by lime or change 

 of air. The matter vomited was usually of a dark yellow 

 colour, though sometimes green ; the faeces were in, general 

 dark- coloured; but in the case of Mrs. R. they were com- 

 pletely white during the space of twenty-tour hours only. 



There was a considerable sameness in the medical treat- 

 ment. The opiates which were given afforded no mitiga- 

 tion of the symptoms, unless joined with cathartics, and 

 aided by fomentations, &;c. The countenances of all the 

 patients exhibited a pale, sickly, wan aspect. The pulse 

 in each was slow and regular, rather indeed sluggish, and 

 generally below the natural slate ; but in no instance was 

 there any symptom of paralysis. 



J. DfiERING. 



Further Olservalmis on the same Subject. By William 

 Shearman, M.D.F.M.S. 



The circumstance related in the preceding communica- 

 tion of several persons in the same family being attacked 

 with similar symptoms, differing only in degree, and re- 

 sembling in appearance those of the colica pictonum, the 

 exciting cause of which could not be discovered after the 

 most accurate research, brings to my recollection an occur- 

 rence which happened within my observation several years 

 ago, where this disease raged with different degrees of vio- 

 lence among a great number of people, produced in all of 

 them by the same unsuspected cause, and which, in its in- 



Wol.'ib.iSo. 160. August 18\\. CJ ciplcnt 



