Locality. Date of Date of Violet Powder Remarks.
Birth. Attack. from one or
other of the
two Shops.
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.