The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-03-12
rRrcHINE,r rERRoRs.


a Family of Thirteen Indulge in UncOoked
Ham at GrinneII, Iowa-Two Dead, One
Dying, and All Suferers-A Singular Case
of rriehinae Poisoning.
From che Chicago Times.
A family living at GrinneIl, Iowa,
was poisoned by trichin9 some thir-
teen weeks ago, and two of the men,
bers subsequently, died from the -ef-
fects; yet that the poisoning was tri-
chene has just been brought to light
by Chicago physicians. The facts in
this case are of no little. interest, and
are now given as told to the Times re-
porter By one of the sufferers, who de-
parted for his home on last evening.
Fourteen weeks ago the family of
L. P. Blood, a farmer dwelling near
Grinnell, comprised thirteen members,
two daughters-in-laW and two grand
children included. AllWere well and
of strong constitutions. such as arc
bred on the level lands of Central
Iowa. Father and mother. Hulburt
J., and wife, with Bertha and Lille
children, Wallace and wife, Mary, An
ME, Willie, Agnes and Perley, these
composed the healthy and happy
group.
Itse happened unfortunately enough,
that a common article of family con-
sumption was raw pork. A new
crop of inviting hams having been
gathered by Mr.. Blood, slices from
these were freely eaten without being
submitted to the crucible of cookery.
Shortly after the first indulgence, Mrs.
Blood and four of the children were
taken with violent diarrhea, cramps
in the stomach, and subsequent yomit-
ting. A doctor was summoned, and
gave his medical opinion that the five
had been poisoned by arsenic. Whence
It came was beyond discovery. Re-
lief was afforded partially, and the
others went on eating the deadly
meat, to which suspicion was not at
tracted. Wallace, the second son, was
the next one stricken, and more severe :
". Two or three days later and
nine of the thirteen were ailing, some
more than others. At this juncture
the eldest son, Hulbnrt, came home
with his wife and two children, from
Augusta, Kansas, to take care of the
sick. The doctor was still of the opin-
ion that arsenic had somehow crept
into the cooking, and thence into the
stomachs of the patients. All of them
continued to have violent pains and
diarrhea, and weakness was Inevitably
the result. After an illness of five
weeks Ahie, the wife of Wallace, died.
She was worn out with pain, having
suffered intensely. No direct cause
could be found for her death, yet no
examination was made, or thought
necessary. Two weeks ago last Satur-
day, Willie, a lad of twelve years,
died. He did not seem to suffer so
much as the other, but grew weaker
day by day till death came to him.
He was sore, as if bruised, all over his
body, and could not bear to be touch
ed or moved. No examination was
made either in his case, and still the
raw pork had not been suspected.
But one day Mr.. Blood, who was
able to be about, carried ham to his
son Hplburt. A portion of it was
eaten, aud almost Immediately there
were four more patients. The doc
tor now had his attention pointed TO
the pork, and at once charged upon
it ali the previous troubles OF the fami-
". To make certain, four or five
pounds of il were sent, nearly two
weeks since, to DR.. J. Adams Allen,
of this city, who no sooner placed it
beneath his powerful microscope than