The WiZard is In
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Darwin and phosphorus
The Medical News, 1857
It is not often that instances are been of accidental burns from this substance;
but there is one at the present moment in the Royal Free Hospital, under Mr. de
Méric's care. The patient is a lad, aged sixteen, who carried a small phial is his
right trousers pocket, containing a piece of phosphorus in water. The bottle was
broken by some accident, when the combustion of this substance took place in
contact with his thigh and with the penis. This occurred on the 30th of August.
The result was rapid ulceration of the foreskin and body of the penis, together
with part of the thigh to the extent of three inches in diameter. There is at the
present moment (September 21) phymosis [Turns around and removes
Stedman's from the shelf -- Phimosis. Narrowness of the opening of the prepuce,
preventing it being drawn back of the glans.] with a tendency to heal on
the pan of the penis, and we think most likely the deformity may be permanent,
especially when the ulceration has healed. The ulcer on the leg is red and angry
looking, as if in constant irritation, but has commenced to heal up. Mr. de Méric
stated to us that he had lately at the German Hospital a somewhat similar case,
only that the effects were far more extensive than in this boy.- Lancet, Oct. 3,
1857.
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thereelstory
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Interesting. Why would a kid be a sailing with some phossie in tote in his pocket?
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The WiZard is In
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One could -- start a thread on odd things people do with
chemicals....
Nitric acid in a crowd.
From the Pall Mall Gazette
It is not easy to discover what grievance against mankind in general or a mob in
Farringdon Road in particular could have been nourished by Mr. William White,
described as a “ general dealer, ” who, on a recent Saturday night, failing to
secure a ready sale for some stuff which he called “ electroplating, “ but which
was simply nitric acid, uncorked a bottle containing some of the liquid and flung
it broadcast among his auditoss [sic]. No fewer than eight persons received
injuries from this onslaught, and in some instances articles of clothing were
entirely burned through. Mr. White, nevertheless proved to be an impartial
distributor, for when he was removed to the station-house he was seen to pour
some nitric acid over himself—with the ulterior purpose, it was suspected of
assisting his defense by striving to show that he had been molested and pushed
by the crowd, and that the spilling of the acid was accidental. Such was in effect
his plea when he was tried at the Old Bailey on Friday for a misdemeanor in
having caused bodily harm by throwing a corrosive fluid. The jury found White
guilty, but in a rider to their verdict expressed an opinion that he had not
intended to do any serous injury. In this view Mr. Justice Hawkins mercifully
concurred, and the general dealer, who was probably half tipsy when in so
reckless a manner he disposed of his stock in trade without cash, got off with a
month’s imprisonment. It would be as well. Perhaps, if in future the line were
drawn a good way on this side of nitric acid as an article to fling over reluctant
customers. Difficulties, for example, might arise if a hawker of small-arms took to
discharging the contents of revolvers among a crowd; and the propulsion of
soda-water bottles full of fulminating picrate of potash at the heads of people
who declined to buy cough-lozenges would be practice scarcely in consonance
with the courtesies usually prevalent between vendors and purchasers.
New York Times
19 July, 1880.
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