Captain Fred Walters (1855-1923) The Blue Man Fred Walters suffered from a disease called Argyria, caused by a prolonged exposure to silver, making his skin blue. Before the Argyria Walters had Locomotor Ataxia ( a degeneration of the nervous system) The only treatment for this was to ingest silver nitrate, hence the Argyria and blue skin. Walters found that the more silver nitrate he ingested, the bluer he became, all resulting in his eventual death. After his autopsy the doctor claimed that it was most likely the worst case of silver poisoning he's ever seen. Pitchcard This one translates: "The natural man Adam, was the first white without color, Then by contrast, on a beautiful evening he made the negro he was black. Then the yellow oriental and the tonga skin of the west. Of all the varieties and shades in the same were produced. In his wisdom however, he forgot God knows how to create the beautiful color of the clear sky. and Buffalo Bill has brought here the remarkable Blue Man. Coming from the country abroad."            click thumbnails for additional items Back to the Freaks Home † Contact // All material ©Patt Kelley Illustration.