The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-09
DEATH IN COIN.
A Car Driver Covered with Abscesses
Through Putting Money In His Mouth.
New York Mercurvl

A Car Driver Covered with Abscesses
Through Putting Money in His Mouth.
New York Mercury.l
A terrible cass of blood poisoning and
death occurred this week, ,occasioned entire
ly by the frequent manipulation OF coin and
the absorption of poisonous virus into the
system, and it has thus been newly demon
strated that that the most deadly affections
can be communicated by the circulation of
money throughout the community. The
case referred TO was that of Charles Schin-
dler, 20 years of age, a young married man,
highly spoken of, a native of this country,
who lived with his wife and family in I'M
ostatious but happy retirement at No. $50
East Eight street. He had charge OF a-bob-
tail car on the Avenue C line. and acted as
both driver and conductor. On one or two
occasions passengers gave him money for the
package with which he was provided to
make change that was declared by the CASH
Ter of the road to be counterfeit, and thus he
found himself, rs Gid also others on the line,
mulcted out OF
TWENTY-FIVE Oh FIFTY CENTS A DAY,
which, deducted from their small pay, makes
the wages exceedingly small. When the
drivers said they were not experts, and
could not discriminate at night between
good and bad money, the officials of the road
told them TO bite the coin, and thus ascer-
tain whether they were lead or the genuine
article. This manner OF testing 5, 10, 20, %
and 90 cent pieces became quite common on
the road, and self-preservation, or otherwise
the preservation of their wages, caused the
drivers to resort to this test, which was the
only one they were familiar with. Mr..
,Schindler, therefore, made 1t rule before
handing out the packages to passengers who
wanted change to
PUT EVERY COIN INTO HIS MOUTH
and try.its value. On March II Mr.. Schind-
Ter complained that his mouth was sore, and
pustules began to appear upon his face and
weakness, Discrimination to effort. and ex-
hiblted a lack OF his usual vitality. He
was compelled to remain at home, and, not
growing any better on the following day,
the services OF DR.. George B. Hickok, of No.
1854 East Fourth street, were called into
requisition. Mr.. Hickok is one OF the pro.
iessors in the Eye and Ear inirmaIy, at
Second avenue and Thirteenth street; is con-
sidered an adept in throat diseases, and in
cases of blood-poisoning is called an expert.
He saw at once that Mr.. SCHNEIDER was suf-
ferlng from the inocculatIon OF some deadly
the penent as to his business and habits.
concluded that poison had been absorbed
into blood
BY MEANS OF THE MONEY
which the man had placed in his mouth.
There was no evidence OF lead poisoning, but
everything tended to show that virus had
been received into the blood from matter or
pus from an abscess, eruption, or perhaps
from dead person, by means of coins which
had been brought into contact with the
mucous membrane or absorbent portions oil
the mouth. Antidotes were administered
but the man had been stepped, so to speak
with the deadly matter, and sores. pustules
and foulappearing abraslons appeared, all
over the mans body. The sores emitted
matter which was of a noxious odor, and
finally large assesses broke out upon bis
arms and other parts of the body. 1t was
clear case of
PY1EMIA Or BLOOD POISONING
occasioned by the absorption of pus into the
blood. The pus is a secration from the in
! famed texture of the skin. Under the drain
on the system occasioned by the running
matterfrom the pustules or nIcerous sore
! and the weakness OF general debility which
caused the sufferer to lose his vitality be
! grew weaker and weaker until last Thurs
/ day, when he died. The funeral ceremonies
| took place the following day. and yesterday
the remains were removed for interment tt
| Calhoun, In this State, where the parents o
the deceased live. The attendant physician
returned to the bureau of vital statistics
certificate stating that the primary cause o
death was from asthenia or general debilit,
| of the system, and the second cause pyemia
or blood poisoning. caused by the absorption
of pus into the system, the latter occasiones
by poisonous matter received from the out
side of silver coins or nickels which MI
SCHNEIDER had kept in his mouth.
A STARTLING STATEMENT.
In conversation yesterday with a membe
of the health board concerning the incculf
ton of poisonous matter in the manne
stated above, the writer was informed tina
cases of poisoning by contact with the fac
| OF metallic substances which contained pu
or virus OF any kind were quite frequent o
the other side of the Atlantic, and that i
times of contagion and plague it has bee
customary to wash and disinfect money.
the silver pieces now in circulation shoul
contain in the interstices on their faces an
malignant matter, it could easily be tran
mitted to any other person through the ord
nary manipulation of the hands In I'll
mouth the glands form a more ready col
duit or canal for the matter to reach IL
vital parts of the system, but absorptio
could take plhce
THROUGH THE SKIN ANYWHERE.
1t might be that many cases of pyemia
blood poisoning from pus have been occ
stoned In this manner, and the cause OF Il
difficulty remain a secret to both patient al
physician. I'm fact" said the commissio
, er, 81 have known of cases of assesses al
! consequent py;emia resulting in death whe
the cause was not known. 1t might ba
; been caused by abrasion and infiammatto
, resulting from the
HANDLING OF INFECTED MONEY.
, Coin is a very ready means of commuI
eating disease, and people should be caref
in handling it. In the case OF Mr.. Schlndl
! cause and effect were easily traced. In hu
!! dreds of other cases 1t would be Impossih
l to follow the disease to its origin. A
cases of death from pyemia rare? On q
2 contrary, they are quite common. T
| mystery mostly lies in the circumstances
I>a n ~
0 many such cases have been the result
handling money which has passed throu
T somebody's hands who bad been afilict
D with some vile and noxious disease, and
! communicated his sfflictlon through mon
9 to others. Coins should be handled wi
gloves, especially in this country, where
:, circulates through all classes of society.
d is impossible to be too careful in manipul
g ing it. sf.
O A Mysterious Law Student.
n New York Star. April 81
"a For seyerals day past the clerks at the Ii