"Raymond Wood, a contortionist, is lying in a precarious condition."

A vital report from Indiana reached the offices of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on September 1, 1894. It concerned a contortionist who had apparently been poisoned by the dye in his green tights. An excerpt:

“Anderson, Ind.—Raymond Wood, a contortionist, is lying in a precarious condition, caused by wearing green tights. He did his act at a home minstrel performance in this city last Friday and in perspiring the tights faded. The was especially the case on his right leg below the knee. He thought nothing of it and was surprised to find the member highly inflamed the next morning. It had become discolored and swollen to twice the usual size and it is now feared that amputation will be necessary, if not more serious results are caused by blood poisoning, extending over the entire system.”