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Tag: kiss of death

The “Kiss of Death” at New England Textile Mills

November 23, 2025February 22, 2026 Gordon Harris15 Comments

The weaver, after loading thread into a shuttle, drew the loose end through the hole with her breath. No one connected this habit with the observation that weavers were dying of consumption, known now as tuberculosis.

Posted in StoriesTagged 1880, hosiery, kiss of death, mill, tuberculosis, women
Ipswich MA historic photos by William Varrel

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