Report on three samples of Violet Powder received from Mr. W. H. Power, April 4, 1878.
All the powders were of a very pale yellowish colour, and rather more gritty to the touch than ordinary violet powder; they were also appreciably heavier, bulk for bulk. Taking the weight of a given bulk of ordinary violet powder as 1, the same bulk of these powders would weigh about 1.25. Under the microscope they are shown to consist of potatoe starch mixed with a very considerable proportion of crystalline matter, among which regular octahedra (arsenious acid) can be distinguished. On burning they evolve a very powerful arsenical odour.
Chemical analysis showed them to consist in 100 parts of
| A | B | C | |
| Starch with traces of other organic matter | 37.58 | 34.56 | 36.76 |
| Arsenious acid (white arsenic) | 50.34 | 51.40 | 48.94 |
| Oxide of lead [6] | 1.07 | 1.16 | 0.83 |
| Other mineral matters chiefly carbonate of magnesia | 11.01 | 12.88 | 13.47 |
| 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
A. Dupré.
Westminster Hospital, April 13, 1878.
29 cases dealt with in Mr. W. H. Power’s Report respecting a Special Mortality among Infants in Loughton Parish.
| Locality in Loughton. | Date of Birth. | Date of Attack. | Result. | Remarks as to use of theparticular Powder. | Reference to inReport, under | ||
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| Table | Table | Detailed |
1 | Golding’s Hill | 14 Feb. 1877 | 2 March 1877 | Died 7 March 1877. | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards. | No. 8 | — | — |
2 | Baldwin’s Hill | 7 Dec. 1876 | 4 March „ | Died 6 March 1877. | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards. Had four packets. | — | — | — |
3 | Baldwin’s Hill | 20 Jan. 1877 | 4 March „ | Died 8 March 1877. | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards. | ,, 5 | — | — |
4 | Baldwin’s Hill | 17 Oct. 1876 | Early March 1877 | Recovered | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards, fresh packet just before attack. | — | — | — |
5 | Baldwin’s Hill | 20 Jan. 1877 | 7 March 1877 | Recovered | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards till attack, probably fresh packet justbefore attack. | — | — | — |
6 | Golding’s Hill | 12 Jan. „ | Mid. March 1877 | Recovered | Powder from one of the vendors of the particular powderused from birth onwards till attack, probably fresh packet abouttime of attack. | ,, 1 | — | — |
7 | Ash Green | 20 Feb. „ | Early March 1877 | Recovered | Other powder till day before attack, then particularpowder. | „ 13 | — | F. W., page 5. |
8 | High Road | 4 June ,, | 5 June 1877 | Died 8 June 1877 | The particular powder used from birth. | „ 10 | — | — |
9 | Pump Hill | 26 May „ | 9 June „ | Recovered | The particular powder on and after 11th day frombirth. Was twice attacked. | — | — | A. W., page 5. |
10 | Baldwin’s Hill | 29 June „ | 1 July „ | Recovered | No powder of any kind. Thought by mother to have hadlocal injury at delivery. | ,, 11 | — | (doubtful case) |
11 | Baldwin’s Hill | 30 June „ | 2 July „ | Died 7 July 1877 | The particular powder used from birth to attack. | ,, 21 | — | — |
12 | Baldwin’s Hill | — 1875 | Aug. „ | Recovered | The particular powder exceptionally used to a chafedthigh. | — | — | — |
13 | Stoney Path | 15 Aug. 1877 | 16 Aug. „ | Died 21 Aug. 1877 | The particular powder used from birth till death. | ,, 22 | — | T. C., page 5. |
14 | Baldwin’s Hill | 6 Oct. „ | 25 Oct. „ | Died 28 Oct. 1877 | Other powder till day or so before attack, then particularpowder. | — | No. 4 | E. W., page 4. |
15 | Ash Green | 25 Oct. „ | 26 Oct. „ | Died 30 Oct. 1877 | The particular powder used from birth onwards. | ,, 6 | ,, 8 | — |
16 | Baldwin’s Hill | 11 Nov. „ | 15 Nov. „ | Recovered | The particular powder used till attack, thendiscontinued. | ,, 24 | „ 13 | — |
17 | Ash Green | 20 Nov. „ | 22 Nov. „ | Died 30 Nov. 1877 | The particular powder used from birth till death. | „ 30 | „ 16 | — |
18 | Stoney Path | — 1873 | — Nov. „ | Recovered | The particular powder exceptionally used to soresfollowing measles. | — | — | Sister to T. C., page 5. |
19 | Golding’s Hill | — 1875 | Xmas „ | Recovered | The particular powder exceptionally used to sores fromchicken pox. | — | — | A. D., page 5. |
20 | Baldwin’s Hill | 29 Dec. 1877 | 30 Dec. „ | Died 1 Jan. 1878 | The particular powder used from birth till death. | — | „ 23 | Infant of N.’s daughter, page 4. |
21 | High Road | 7 Nov. „ | 31 Dec. „ | Recovered | Other powder till 29 Dec., particular powder at and afterthat date. | — | „ 11 | C. N., page 4. |
22 | England’s Lane | 26 Nov. „ | 1 Jan. 1878 | Recovered | Starch only thought to have been used; but particularpowder kept in house. | „ 16 | „ 18 | — |
23 | Ash Green | 30 Dec. „ | 14 Feb. „ | Recovered | Powder remaining from previous confinement till few daysbefore attack, then particular powder. | ,, 17 | ,, 24 | P. S., page 5. |
24 | Baldwin’s Hill | 13 Feb. 1878 | 14 Feb. „ | Died 18 Feb. 1878. | The particular powder used from birth till death. | ,, 7 | „ 33 | — |
25 | Golding’s Hill | 2 Jan. „ | 20 Feb. „ | Recovered | Other powder used till two days before attack, then, fortwo days, particular powder. | — | „ 26 | E. D., page 5. |
26 | Golding’s Hill | 13 March „ | 15 March 1878. | Died 19 March 1878. | The particular powder from birth till illness. | ,, 12 | „ 39 | — |
27 | Baldwin’s Cottage. | — Dec. 1875 | Mid. March 1878. | Recovered | The particular powder exceptionally used a day or sobefore attack. | — | — | Sister to H. J., page 5. |
28 | Baldwin’s Cottage. | 19 Feb. 1878 | Mid. March 1878. | Recovered | Powder from London till day before attack, then particularpowder. | „ 18 | „ 36 | H. J., page 5. |
29 | York Hill. | 17 Feb. „ | 19 Feb. 1878 | Died 22 Feb. 1878. | The particular powder from birth. | ,, 36 | „ 35 | — |
Note.—Nos. 3 and 4, 13 and 18, 4 and 12, and 27 and 18 occurred, in each instance, in the same household.
LONDON:
Primed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode,
Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty.
For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
[B 580.—100.—10/78.]