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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 39 601, whioh forms its prominent iugredient. The degree of refinement of the artiole used, therefore, is important, and it is to be regretted that enough of the material might not have been had to determine this point. Of interest in this connection is the Os80 of poisoning by drinking lemon extract, which oocnrred in the last ten days at Ripley, W. Vs. An inquiry has been sent there in regard to the name of the physioian who attended the oaae, with the hope of obtaining for your nae rs statement of the aymptoma exhibited by the gentleman who died from the use of lemon extract. Also of interest are the caaes of poisoning which ooonrred recently at Camp Alger from the use of methyl aloohol. A request has been sent to the Secretary of Wsr for a statement of the medioal o6ioers in oharee in re-ea rd to the s.vm -~ tomae xhibited by the soldiers who had drunk the wood spirit. Any further information whioh these inquiries may brin-g will be forwarded to yon promptly on its arrival. Respeotfully, JAMEWSIL BONS, ecp~tavy. The SECRETARoYa TRE INTERIOR. A copy of the foregoing letter was transmitted August 24,1898, to the Department with recommendation that it be forwarded to the Department of Justice in wnneetion with previous wrrespondence on this subject. From the special report of Maj. William H. Devine, brigade snr-gwn, First Division Hospital, Sewnd Army Corps, the following extraot relating to cases of poisoning from drinking wood alcohol by soldiers at Camp Alger, referred to in the above letter from the Secre tary of Agriculture, has been furnished this office by the Department of Agriculture, viz: Cases Noa. 8 and .(.-Privates John Shiffen and John J. Lee, Company a, Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infsntrv".. were admitted soon after noon on Jnl-v 25.. 189 8. with symptoms of aonte poisoning. Both men were able to walk into the ward and admitted, when confronted with the query, that they had, in lien of whisky, drank wood alcohol diluted with water and sweetened. Shiffen land Lee were bnt two of a number of privates in this regiment who drank thia concoction, but having indulged in it to much greater degree than almost any of the others they were more serionslv affected. One of their com~~aniondai d. however. die in his re-ei mental hospital. The aymptoms which these two men presented were gaatrio pain of m aonte chsraoter, relieved a t times by ceasation of the p- ain.; alm ost persistent vomit-in- e., drv" ness of the month and throat. thoneh the tonene and bnohsl oavitv seemed - - moist. An inordinate and insatiable desire for water, whieh is chsracteristio of poisoning casea of thia olasq was notioeable in both men, who drank eagerly the water that was given them, only to vomit its, few moments after its reception into the stomsoh. Temperetore of both men normal when 'admitted md did not rim above 990 at any time. The speeoh quite coherent, bnt the eyes with dilated pupils, incapable of recognizing either persona or things only a few feet distant. Phiffen, after an awful struggle, in which he tossed about inoesseotly, crying all the while for water, gradually sank into unconscionsneas, in whioh state he died at 7.30 p. m. the same day. For an honr before death he was almost pulsdess, heart diorotio, and - toward the last Chepe-Stokes breathing. Lee died at 2 a. m. on the morning of the 26th, after evidencing practically the same effects of the poisoning ss did Shiffen. His temperature at 9 o'oloek p.m., five horn before death, regiatered 93.4O, but after the applicstion of hot-water bags rose to 95.3O. It is believed that both men died from an acnte nephritis, although no neoropsy was permitted. Both men, it was learned, had been drinking the wood |
