The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-25
POISONED HAM.
SIX PERsoHs IN BROOKLYN AFFECTED WITH A
THEM FALLS IN THE sTREET---A DOCTORS

SIX PERsoKs IN BROOKLYN AFFECTED WITH
STRANGE AND DANGEROUS ILLNEss--oNE OF
THEM FALLS IN THE sTREEr--A DOCTORS
OPINION.
The neighborhood of skillman street and Myrtle
avenue was thrown into CONSERVATION yesterday
evening by the that several of yellow
fever had been developed at No. 116 sklman street,
the residence and boarding house of Mrs. Mary
Bumstead. The rumor gained strength from the
knowledge that one of the boarders was ship
pentsr employed to do repairs. &C., on the Havana
steamships and asthe physicians and police hVrried
In and out Of the house the fears the neighbors
almost reached panic DR.. H. E. Firth reassured
them, however. by declaring that the illness was
The cases were reported by Roundsman Cornell.
at the Flushing avenue station, last night and
HERALD reporter fastened to investigate them. he
arrived just as the DOCTORS II. 4. Firth and William
A. Little, were returning to further Investigate the
cause of trouble but said that eight persons con-
nected with the mouse had been affected by some
virulent poison and were in less dangerous
condition.
CAUSE OF THE SICKNESS
Theodore Bumstead, a boy OF thirteen years, said
his mother. who KEEP. the house. had purchased
Kent and Myrtle avenues, Wednesday, and had
boiled It.. 1t was cut for supper on Wednesday
It. None Of the others in the family touched it.
They were taken very sick with vomiting ana purg-
ing; but through the day they rallied and tet
Portable last night. though unable to do than
move around the room.
At dinner yesterday Mrs. Bumstead, Frank Bum
stead stephen Gildersleeve and Joseph Gardner par
took freely of the ham, while Miss Jane Kelly could
not be persuaded to touch it. Mr. Frank Parkiss,
visitor route for Coney Island, from New Jersey
not only eat some OF the ham at the table, but find
ing 1t, he thought finely favored cut a piece
and took it with him to the pier at Coney Island
for an old boarder of the house. named John Wittey
now IN the employ Of the Coney Island Navigation
Company and at work on the pier. and he also ate
freely OF the ham. few hours after all these per-
sons. save Miss Kelly were taken seriously i'll. Mr.
eildersleeye. while at lis work in this city. was
found SO low that he was removed TO the New York
hospital. and is not expected to live. Frank Bum
stead. who also works in this city, fell the
aud was taken home in a carriage by friends
snd was very low last night Mrs. Bumstead and
Joseph Gardner both seized in the house.
while Parkss and Witty are lying at the Coney lis.
land ocean pier, all in condition that can
pet say whether they will live or die.
SYMPTOMS.
TIE symptoms in ali the precisely SIM
lar and are thus described by DR.. Firth :-''lsach
patient has been seized with violent retching and
purgng, accompanied with great heat over the
sation. They all bear evidence OF the action OF q
v4rulent poison. We have carefully examined into
the cause OF these symptoms, and without doubt
trace 1t to the ham. Those IN the house who did
not touch it are not affected, and in the of Mr..
Witty at Coney Island, the only thing he cat
that came from this house the ham,
and his symptoms are the same. There is
evidence of poison or trace of copper
about the pot water in which the ham was boiled,
and Dr. Little and yself convinced that they all
IRE of poisoning by diseased meat how affected
or with what disease we cannot tell none of the
ham is left. The fragments around the bones
fed to the dog and cat, and we anxious to
il they Will affected. The disease has devel
oped too rapidly for trichinosis As to the condi-
Mr.. Lawrence and little Theodore Bumstead are very
low. They say they comfortable, however.
though we hnd little or pulsaton. All we do
Tor them viii be done, and we hope there will be
fatal results.