From Archives and Cornish Studies Service—On this day in 1874 the West Briton reported this horrible account:“A diabolical attempt has been made to poison the workpeople employed at the works of the West of England Fire Clay, Fire Brick & Bitumen Company at Green Hill, near Calstock. At crib time, about nine o’clock on Friday morning, the people made tea for breakfast, and, as usual, obtained water to do so from the tank erected on the works for the use of the men and others employed there. No sooner had they finished their meal than many of them complained of feeling unwell, but in spite of this they resumed work at he stated time. Very soon, however, they were obliged to cease, for the whole of them, comprising between forty and fifty men, besides women and boys, were seized with violent vomitings accompanied by frightful burning sensations in throat and stomach, and great prostration. Medical assistance was at once sent for, and it was at once perceived that the symptoms were these of arsenical poisoning, and emetics and other remedies were speedily applied. It is supposed, a wheelbarrow full was thrown into the water. Those who escape death will owe their lives to the fact that a very small quantity of the poison was dissolved in consequence of the coldness of the weather, and the tendency that arsenious anhydride (white oxide of arsenic) has to become soluble in cold water. This compound of arsenic is manufactured on the works, and during the night some one must have broken into the store, and having abstracted the poison, threw it in the water.”
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 14:57:51 +0000
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