Table II.
| Locality. | Date of Birth. | Date of Attack. | Violet Powder from one or other of the two Shops. | Remarks. |
| Forest Road | 2 Oct. 1877 | No | No | ? Any powder. |
| Loughton Park | 4 Oct. „ | No | No | |
| High Road | 5 Oct. „ | No | No | |
| Baldwin’s Hill | 6 Oct. „ | 25 Oct. | Yes | |
| Epping New Road | 15 Oct. „ | No | No | |
| Forest Road | 18 Oct. „ | No | — | Born in a tent by roadside. |
| Forest Road | 21 Oct. „ | No | No | |
| Ash Green | 25 Oct. „ | 26 Oct. | Yes | |
| Forest Road | 26 Oct. „ | No | No | ? Any powder. |
| High Road | 1 Nov. „ | No | No | |
| High Road | 7 Nov. „ | 31 Dec. | Yes | |
| Smart’s Lane | 8 Nov. „ | No | No | |
| Baldwin’s Hill | 11 Nov. „ | 15 Nov. | Yes | |
| High Road | 14 Nov. „ | No | No | |
| Forest Road | 18 Nov. „ | No | No | Only lived 15 minutes. |
| Ash Green | 20 Nov. ,, | 22 Nov. | Yes | |
| Smart’s Lane | 20 Nov. „ | No | No | |
| England’s Lane | 27 Nov. „ | 1 Jan. 1878 | Yes | Habitually used starch. |
| Smart’s Lane | 30 Nov. „ | No | — | Left district. |
| Loughton Road | 16 Dec. „ | No | No | |
| Warren Hill | 24 Dec. „ | No | No | |
| Smart’s Lane | 24 Dec. „ | No | No | |
| Baldwin’s Hill | 29 Dec. „ | 30 Dec. | Yes | |
| Ash Green | 30 Dec. „ | 14 Feb. | Yes | At first used powder from previous confinement. |
| Mutton Row | 30 Dec. „ | No | No | |
| Golding’s Hill | 2 Jan. 1878 | 20 Feb. | Yes | |
| Trap’s Hill | 3 Jan. „ | No | No | |
| York Hill | 5 Jan. „ | No | No | |
| Forest Road | 19 Jan. „ | No | No | |
| Forest Road | 30 Jan. „ | No | No | |
| Smart’s Lane | 5 Feb. „ | No | No | |
| Warren | 8 Feb. „ | No | No | |
| Baldwin’s Hill | 10 Feb. „ | 14 Feb. | Yes | |
| Forest Road | 12 Feb. „ | No | No | |
| York Hill | 17 Feb. „ | 19 Feb. | Yes | |
| Baldwin’s Hill | 19 Feb. „ | Mid. March | Yes | |
| High Road | 1 March „ | No | No | |
| High Road | 11 March ,, | No | No | |
| Golding’s Hill | 13 March „ | 15 March | Yes |
4. Further and detailed evidence confirmatory in a high degree of relation in the sense of effect to cause between the malady of infants and the use of the particular powder, could, were it necessary, be given in regard of most, if not all, of the cases attacked by the disease. But the following will suffice. They are also explanatory of the interval between birth and attack observed in certain cases recorded in the above and in the previous table.
E. W., born 6th October 1877; attacked 25th October. Mother states that for the first fortnight from birth she used for dusting the infant violet powder purchased at a distance. This being expended, she obtained a packet of the particular powder from one of the two shops in the parish selling it. A day or two after using this fresh powder she noticed redness, blackness, and swelling of the privates and neck of the infant; in three more days it died. C. N., born 7th November 1877; attacked 31st December. Mother from infant’s birth used for dusting it violet powder from a chemist near at home, and perhaps some also from a friend. On 29th December she attended her daughter in confinement and took with her her own infant. Here she used for both infants powder from one of the two shops referred to. On 30th December her daughter’s, and on 31st December her own, infant was attacked. Daughter’s infant died January 1st; her own recovered, but is much scarred. P. S., born 30th December; attacked February 14. From birth until about February 11th the mother used violet powder remaining in the house since her last confinement; she also used starch. About the last-mentioned date she obtained some of the particular powder, and after using it perhaps three days noticed pimples on the groins, under the scrotum, under the arms, and at both sides of the neck. The pimples soon turned black, and became deep holes discharging much yellow matter. Used the powder a few days only; “did not like it;” “it was yellow;” burned it. Child recovered. E. D., born 2nd January; attacked about 20th February. The mother used starch powder from infant’s birth until two days before it fell ill, when, having no starch powder, she procured a packet of the particular violet powder. This was used two days only, but the infant suffered in the same way as P. S. It recovered, but is scarred. H. J., born 19th February 1878; attacked middle March. The mother at and after infant’s birth used violet powder received as a present from London. The day before the infant was attacked she commenced using some of the particular powder recently purchased. The groins only were affected in this case; they became black and broke into sores. The use of the powder was discontinued as soon as the infant fell ill. On one occasion, however, it was used to a sister aged two years and four months; she suffered in like manner. Both children recovered. A. W., born 26th May 1877; attacked 9th June. The mother states that until the infant was 11 days old she had no powder at all. About 5th June she purchased a packet of the particular powder and used it to the infant in the ordinary way. On 9th June she noticed that the privates were swelled, and that white bladders as big as a hazel nut had formed thereon, as well as under the arms and around the neck. These changed colour and broke into deep wounds which discharged yellow matter. Cores came out from the sores under the arms. The use of the powder was discontinued after six days, and in about two months the infant was fairly well. Hereupon the mother recommenced the use of the particular powder, and the same night the infant was very restless and screamed a great deal. Next morning “the bladders were out again;” the powder was then burned. The child eventually recovered, but is deeply scarred about the scrotum, groins, neck, and armpits, as if by sloughing of the soft parts hereabouts. F. W., born 20th February 1877; attacked early in March. From birth the mother used violet powder from a chemist near at hand, but when the infant was about a fortnight old she bought, and used to the lower parts of its body only, a packet of the particular powder. Next day the infant broke out into sores about the navel and pudenda. The use of the particular powder was at once discontinued and the infant shortly got well. Some months later the mother being out of violet powder, again used the particular powder to the infant, and at once the sores reappeared. The powder was then burned. A. D., aged three years, was attacked about Christmas 1877 by varicella. During recovery and while the pocks were dying away, she herself purchased a packet of the particular powder, which was then used for dusting the eruption about the pudenda. Almost at once the dying vesicles became sores which turned black and discharged matter; on healing they left scars. It is stated that in this instance the powder was used on one occasion only. T. C., born 15th August 1877. 36 hours after birth pimples and bladders formed about the privates and navel, which parts swelled, turned black, and became hard; no sores. Infant died 21st August. The particular powder was used in this instance from birth. Three months afterwards some of the remainder of this powder was used for dusting sores on the head, face, and arms of a sister aged four years who had recently suffered from measles. These sores became much worse and inflamed; those on the arms have left large scars.
Incidentally it is here shown that those parts only of infants bodies to which toilet powder is ordinarily applied have been affected by the malady; and further that such application of the particular powder has been constantly followed in very few days by the symptoms complained of. Additional evidence respecting the shortness of the interval between application of the particular powder and the appearance of the symptoms attributed to it, is afforded by the fact of 16 infants to whom this powder was applied from birth onwards no less than 10 were attacked in from one to four days. Nor is the conclusion, irresistible from the foregoing evidence, in any way weakened by the six instances in which the attack was not immediate; for there must have been a beginning to the mischievous quality of the powder bought at the shops of the vendors of the particular powder. These six cases were at the very commencement of the total series. All of them, and they were of various ages, from two to 20 weeks, fell ill at the same time, viz., early in March 1877. And though all of them it would appear had used more than one packet of violet powder from one or other of the two shops in question between birth and the commencement of illness, in more than one instance a fresh packet of powder is remembered to have been procured a day or two before attack. So far from weakening, these exceptions strengthen the conclusion; more than that, they seem to indicate that not until the end of February or early March of last year did violet powder bought at these two shops in Loughton possess hurtful properties.
Probably enough has been made out to satisfy any reasonable doubt that may have been entertained as to the connexion between the use in Loughton of the particular violet powder and the lamentable effects attributed to it. It will be observed that the evidence is absolutely independent of the nature of the irritating agent in the powder. Whether or not that agent may have been arsenic, as found by Mr. Jones in the specimens submitted to him by Mr. Deacon, matters nothing to the proof I have given of this connexion. But I have submitted to Dr. Dupré for analysis samples of the violet powder which I obtained from the mothers of three of the sufferers from the malady, and when Dr. Dupré’s report is received I shall append it. Meanwhile I annex a tabulated statement of the cases investigated.
W. H. POWER.
9 April 1878.
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.