A Fatal Mistake in the Nursery
A young child dies after accidentally consuming sulfuric acid left in a tub.
On May 5th, the young child of Mr. and Mrs. P. Chapman, of Muck Creek, in this county, came to its death in the following distressing manner: Mr. Chapman had placed a tub of vitriol (sulfuric acid) with water, for the use of a sheep wash, in the yard. Leaving the tub, he went to the field to work, and Mrs. Chapman was busy in the house. The child, in its play, wandered out into the yard and, in the absence of its parents, climbed upon the tub. It fell into the liquid, which was so concentrated that it caused immediate and fatal burns. The child died in great agony within an hour.
“The child, in its play, wandered out into the yard and, in the absence of its parents, climbed upon the tub. It fell into the liquid, which was so concentrated that it caused immediate and fatal burns.”
This tragic accident highlights the dangers of hazardous agricultural chemicals being kept in open, accessible containers—a common reality on 19th-century homesteads. While modern safety regulations and child-resistant packaging have evolved, the story serves as a stark reminder of the domestic risks inherent in rural life during the settlement era.
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