Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-07-07
1902 STUDENTS POISONED.
"A Nystery at Iowa College w saf3es
the Doctors.

| N taJS at Iowa College w Battles
the Doctors.
a letter from the Iowa Agricultural
College, at Ames, Ia, tells the follow
ing occurrences:
| On the Sd ult, from the hour of 8
P. NJ, to A. NJ. Of the 4th, 1O2 students,
male and female, were seized with ILL
ness-ln some cases on tie alarming.
All were affected alike, but with differ
ent degrees Of severity, the ladies sui.
fer1ng by far the most. The general
character OF the symptoms was chol-
era1c, consisting of violent purging, ex-
cesslve gripping I,ains, some vomiting, a
good deal Of nausea, cold extremities,
and great adynamia. Pulses ran to 100
and 100, yet without force and fulness.
Severe pain was depicted In the coun-
tenance, and, altogether, the situation
was an alarming one.
The symptoms indicated poisoning,
and strong remedies were applied to the
strong symptoms, and within twenty
four hours from the period of attack
elghty-seven were at their usual places
and duties, we'll. Fifteen were still i'll,
all OF whom were ladies. Day after day
one or two recovered, and when five
days had elapsed but three were Ill. In
weeks time all had recovered. The
excitement incident to such sudden
and mysterious illness having somewhat
subsidized, the query on everybody's lips
was, "What made it 2"
All sorts of rumors prevailed-some
plausible, some harsh, some absurd.
some preposterous, President WEIGH.
who was unavoidably absent at the
time, returned, and in unison with
others of the faculty, sought by all
possible means to obtain the cause. The
buildings were carefully inspected, and
their sanitary condition found excellent.
The water tanks were ex"mined and
nothing could be found that could be
productive Of such results. thorough
ly and searchingly analysed such food
of the day Of attack as remained un-
eaten, and also the water supplied to
the students, and no poisonous elements
could be found.
The whole number of sick was 1902;
100 ate meat, and of these 96 were sick,
81 did not eat it, and of these we've
sick, l doubtful; 1O7 ate gravy, and IS
were sick; 66 did not eat gravy, 26 were
sick and doubtful; 100 ate beans, 81
were sick; So did not eat beans, Is were
sick, 2 doubtful; 1875 ate rice, "a we're
sick; 48 did not Sat rice, 20 were sick
and were doubtful; 1859 ate biscuit, "a
we're sick; IL did not eat biscuit, 7 were
sick; 1856 ate corn bread, 80 were sick;
Is did not eat it, 20 were sick; $50 drank
water, SO were sick; % did not drink it,
IL were sick and were doubtful; 141
drank milk, 85 were sick; IS did not use
milk, Is were sick and were doubtful;
143 ate apple sauce, IS were sick; 81
did not eat it, Is were sick and l was
doubtful.
With one exception everybody who
was sick ate meat Or gravy. This is
not true with any article of food par
taken that day, yet while very many Sc
rious cases Of illness have arisen from
diseased meat, producing symptoms
exactly like those seen in this sickness,
the same beef was furnished by the
butcher to his customers in town, and
none were affected. The symptoms
pointed to milk tainted by some noxious
element as the cause, but. as the tables
show, sixteen We're sick who took no
milk in any form. No signs of any ep-
idemic, or malarial, or atmospheric
cause could be traced. Thus far, then,
the case is enveloped in mystery.