EOPLE LIVING NEAR TITUSVILLE, PA., had long been aware of the gooey substance seeping out of the ground. For thousands of years, the black ooze was used for medicinal purposes. Small doses were used to treat scabies, respiratory illnesses, and even epilepsy. The native Seneca people, on whose land present-day Oil City is located, used it for ointments and insect repellant. But it also fouled the water. No
