Three reports relating to the Hastings water : with an appendix of letters, &c. / Ordered to be printed by the Hastings Local Board of Health.

  • Taylor, Alfred Swaine, 1806-1880.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Three reports relating to the Hastings water : with an appendix of letters, &c. / Ordered to be printed by the Hastings Local Board of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    water are, or are not, of frequent occurrence among the inhabitants and visitors of this place. This is entirely a question of fact, which can be answered only by the ag- gregate experience of the medical practitioners. One gentleman last autumn “made the discovery that some of Ms patients were suffering from the poisonous effects of lead f* within a short space of time he met with “ many cases of colic and other disturbed states of the digestive organs; he was led to classify such cases, and upon en- quiry he found that in all instances where such indisposition occurred leaden tanks were in usehe “ nearly lost several cases from repeated colic and its consequent innutrition, each one exhibiting manifest symptoms of lead-poisoning; such persons immediately recovered on his desiring them to send for their water from the street pumps, and keeping them on a diet made from that water under their own eyes ;”f he had cases that “ were accompanied with ten- derness of the abdomen, pain, heat, coldness of the ex- tremities, constipation and fever, which convinced him that a metallic poison was at work.” “ On Oct. 4, he was called up at 4 a.m. to visit a gentleman, who had colic in a most violent degree about the navel, and all the symptoms of lead-poisoning,” who “ had in fact all the symptoms of painter’s colic. On the 7th, at 5 a.m., the patient had a second most violent return in an aggravated degree. On the 15th, he was again seized in the same manner with increased ferocity; again on the 17th, and on the 21st. His health was now fairly broken down, and his medical attendant, as well as his family, began to feel great anxiety, and to despair of his life from extreme exhaustion.... Where to seek for the cause of such renewed attacks the medical attendant knew not, till he tested the water he drank,” when “ his conviction was sealed in a minute. This was the water he analyzed.” The patient “ sent for pure water to drink and to have his food cooked in, and had no further attack. He returned * See Appendix, No. 25, p. 30.