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How Oatmeal And 11 Hospitalized Blue Men Caused A Real Life Panic In 1944 New York
The accidental poisoning of a number of itinerant New Yorkers one fall day caused great alarm with city officials
Medical mysteries are always equal parts terrifying and interesting. Not knowing why something unusual is occurring is unsettling, but can also be a good opportunity to find out exactly what’s going on. One of the most unusual occurrences in recent memory happened in 1944 in Manhattan when 11 different men showed up at a hospital with sky-blue colored skin. Instead of it being a prank it turned out to be a health emergency that was able to be traced back to an oatmeal breakfast that each had consumed earlier in the day.
On September 25, 1944, an 82-year-old man collapsed in public with agonizing stomach pain, which made him unable to get up or pursue help. Likely due to his bedraggled appearance, he was ignored at first by pedestrians on the busy New York street until he was eventually aided by a passing police officer, who initially wondered if the man was drunk. However, he soon noticed that his lips, fingertips, nose and ears were bright sky blue. The blue color only spread as he was taken to the hospital, by which time he had lapsed into unconsciousness.
