The Massachusetts Spy

[From the Connecticut Herald.]

A few weeks since, an obituary notice of Mrs. Long, of Concord, (N. H.) went the rounds of the newspapers. Her death was occasioned by using sugar adulterated with white lead. She died with aggravated symptoms of Colica Pictonum, or Lead Colic.-

Since then, a family in the same town, (Mr. J. Wheeler's,) have been severely afflicted in the same way, from the use of apple-sauce kept in earthen pans, glazed with red lead- the youngest member of the family has died.

There is a notice of the case by Dr. Long and a report by the central Medical Society, (N. H.) on the subject, in the New-Hampshire Patriot. Dr. Long gives the following as the history of the symptoms :-

"Among the first symptoms noticeable in this disease, are a tightness or uneasiness across the stomach and bowels, costiveness, faintness, giddiness, numbness in the extremities, pains shooting into the head, neck, back and limbs, which are often thought to be rheumatick. And in the further progress of the disease, slight sickness at the stomach, thirst, anxiety, general languor, yellowness of the skin-and if not relieved, worse symptoms ensue; such as obstinate costiveness, a frequent but ineffectual desire to evacuate the contents of the bowels, constant nausea and vomiting, violent pains in the stomach and bowels, with the sensation of their being knotted up and strongly drawn upward and back; epilepsy, delirium, palsy, strong convulsions, and death."

When a family, or any member of it, is affected with such symptoms, they may suspect the action of lead poison, and ought to examine their food, drink, and utensils for cooking or containing them. They ought, too, to make speedy application for medical assistance, as this is a case of peculiar obstinacy and danger. In the case above mentioned, the glazing of the pans was in part entirely destroyed, and the inside of the pans reduced to the state of clay. Lead is used in forming pewter vessels, in soldering tin ware, and in glazing earthen ware. White crockery is glazed with white lead; common brown ware with coarse red lead, or oxyd. Stone ware is glazed with salt, and is therefore not liable to these objections. Lead is easily corroded by any thing acid, such as wine, cider, pickles, preserves, and by oils, when rancid. These articles then contain the lead in solution, which may be detected by a solution of liver of sulphur, (hydrosulphuret,) in the form of a black cloud or precipitate. "Wines are often sweetened by sugar of lead, when pecked or acidified. This has been made a gainful, but most nefarious speculation. It has been one of the thousand guilty means of gathering wealth from the wretchedness of others.-

From the case of Mrs. Long, it appears that the same adulteration has been practised in sugar. Those who value their health, (and there is assuredly nothing of higher value, for one half of our moral evils are evil from their destroying health ;) those who prefer a sound constitution to any momentary gratification-or fancied convenience, ought to take care how they suffer this insidious poison to taint their food, and infect their luxuries. Let them remember, there may be "death in the pot."-

Copper is another poisonous metal. All copper and brass kitchen utensils should be used cautiously-and brass cocks ought in particular to be avoided in drawing off any acidulous liquor. Oils, too, act on copper, at least when rancid; and I have often witnessed the melted tallow on a brass candlestick coloured a deep green.