Posted on 02/25/2006 4:48:19 AM PST by genefromjersey
Edited on 02/25/2006 5:53:54 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Updated story from Yahoo News & AP:
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
AUSTIN - A University of Texas student found a substance that has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, in a roll of quarters she was using to do laundry in her dormitory, officials said.
The student and her roommate were being treated for potential exposure to the poison, although neither has exhibited symptoms, said Dr. Theresa Spalding of UT Student Health Services.
The student told university police she found the chunky powder Thursday as she was doing her laundry at the Moore-Hill dormitory, Spalding said. Preliminary tests for ricin came back positive Friday.
"We were very concerned as soon as we heard about the positive testing late this evening," Spalding said. She said the quarters had been in the students' dorm room for several months.
Ricin is extracted from castor beans and can be added to food or water, injected or sprayed as an aerosol. It can be in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
Symptoms can include anything from difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea and sweating to severe vomiting and dehydration.
The dorm was sanitized and inspected, and students were cleared to return, the university said.
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
____
AUSTIN - A substance discovered by a student in a University of Texas dormitory has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, officials said.
The chunky powder was found at the Moore-Hill dormitory Thursday and reported to university police, officials said. Tests for ricin came back positive Friday. Officials don't know where it came from, said campus police spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon.
UT ping.
That would be what the Muzzies want, to make us fear our own money.
MSNBC.com | February 18, 2004 - Investigators seeking the source of the ricin detected two weeks ago in a Senate office building have raised the possibility that the positive test that forced the evacuation of lawmakers and staff members may have been caused by paper byproducts, not the deadly poison, NBC News has learned.
Sources familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that federal agents have found no source for the powder found in the mailroom of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s office.
A possible explanation for the positive reading also has emerged. The sources said that investigators have determined that non-toxic byproducts of the castor bean plant — the raw material for ricin — are sometimes used in making paper. Because tests performed on congressional mail are highly sensitive, they could have picked up minute traces of products derived from the castor plant — not actual ricin, according to this theory.
Coalition to ban Castor Beans...you can join at:
www.castorbeansareevil.com (sarcasm)
By the way, it's Bush's fault!
If I understood Fox News, the roll was given to the student by a family member.
Do you have a source for this story from News 8? Could you kindly post here please.
I hadn't seen this story...thanks for posting it.
On F&F, it was found in a roll of quarters while doing laundry. Some quarters were used, so the machine will have to be 'cleansed'. The quarters were sent by the parents of the student, who lives 'outside of Austin'.
Isn't that where that yucky castor oil comes from people used to medicate with?
Never mind Rte,
Got it here for the Virginia ricin story:
http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=4457920&nav=0Rcx
The story makes no sense as reported.
Who can really be surprized at what all migh be found growing in a Dorm Room?? Let's hope the Responders were current on thier shots...
An ROP connection?
Fox & Friends was just discussing this. Paige Hopkins asked a good question--wouldn't they first suspect it was laundry detergent, since that was what they claim they were using the coins for? Maybe I'm too jaded, but I suspect this stuff was made in a university chem lab, and this is just a prank.
Exactly... a lot of missing information, reminds me of other university incidents that never reach the press and the few that have.
Apparently, it's not all that uncommon as an alternative to divorce. Every so often Court TV runs one story or another about this kind of poisoning.
Thanks.
Doesn't castor oil come from the castor beans, too? Many home/folk remedies include castor oil.
true.
You're both welcome!
Your missing my point...
When you go into a bank and ask for wrappers--they give you the old paper type wrappers. Sometimes the logo of the bank is on them. The Mr. Customer fills the wrapper with coins, then either spends it or returns it to a bank for currency. Having worked at several banks as both a teller and head teller the roll must have some sort of customer identifier on it like a name or acct. number. If the roll is given back out to a new customer the information is blacked off. Most HT's will only give out Fed wrapped coin anymore. If a branch is running low on coin or the teller is lazy, you might get a customer wrapped roll but it is unlikely. Second, tellers and HTs do not open the rolls of coin and count them unless we suspect a problem, like the roll looks shorter than it should be. Otherwise, they get bagged and sent to the local Federal reserve, where it does get opened and rewrapped in plastic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.