The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-05-19
ST. vIrUss DANCE AN EPIDEMIC

ST. vITUs,s DANCE AN EPIDEMIC.
CINCINNATI, April u.s. singulas
calamity has befsllen the Ursuline
Convent. q famous Catholic institution
in Brown county. The trouble 10 the
breaking out. in epidemic form. amsng
the pnpils, of ST. Vitus's dance. The
maiady made it's appearance two or
three weeks ago, but was not conadeeod
serious until within few days. when.
finding that it had b come epidemic,
ani in one case at least had resulted
fatally, the parents OF the pupils we're
qu s ed TO remove their children.
The symptoms attending the first
case were those usually accompanying
tni4 disesse; first m involuntary mo-
ton of rhe shouldsrss sa1groving
ol tn. symptoms into the otker pof1ions
o. the body. contraction Of the mus
elcs of the arms and face. . slight nan
sea aud hesdache. The phyEician OF
the institution. DR. Hall OF Fayetteville.
was called in, and the ordinary pre-
scrlption for such cases administered.
Tue patient. a girl AZ perhaps uelve,
stated that she had never hes sabjsct
to any attacks Of this nature. bat that
an older sister he'd beeA 10 troubled.
On the next dsy t~oA noEe sfthe ia,
mates OF the institution were similarly
attacked. On the follpwipg dsy tessP
were more, and al the days Aed 1eeh
went BY, more and more OF the pupils
became subject 70 this strange fffness.
until probably twenty or more OF the
pupils and dozen or more ef the
Sisters in attendance had ben ttlAc1rd
with the strange and uAScosSuhtAble
epidemic. for such 1t now appeared tn
be. On Wednesday morning the doc
ter was sent for in great haste, sui on
arriving found ten new patients. jerk.
ing and hopping. and gaping and twist
ing their faces into jacss,esisab BILE
ssh. pes; aud even willis 10 k6elpeosen1
two or three more were ysSke6 III thi
strange symptoms. and fell TO jerking
aud twisting IN the same msnuer -
those who had preceded them insthis
singular experience. Then the doctor
and the Sisters. who had been grsdual'
ly growing alarmed, took thorough
fright, and the sclieol waslealasd up.
the portion able 20 6rDvek " IL call,
and hnrriedly dismissed., tbs dsiiy ON
nibus and bsrouche. and . convenient
spring wagon rssssd into sssvioe. and
assmany Of the pspils - coul& ke got
off on 20 short 8 hdlie were hSrfise 4
tha depot and semi ID their hamssl b
the first trsin. - = =
Az soon ss the disease came to be
recognized. it ives observe that these
witnessing its operations upon others
soon came to be effected by it. and the
patients were kept excluded from the
society Of the others. As the number
grew it became necessary 70 placs ssv.
eral Of the afflicted in the same spArt.
msnt during the presence Of the physi.
clan, and here some very strange scenes
have taken place. DR. Hall. at first
believing that the action Of the mind
would have very considerable effect
in the treatment Of the. disease, tried "a
induce the patients to overcoas by will
force the strange motions OF the various
portions Of the body. To this &C,
he persuaded those whose arms we're
affected to try to carry steadily across
the room shallow tin pan Containing
half q dozen marbles without spillinl
the marbles ON thu floor. These test.
resulted in some cases Satisfactorily. ia
others the marbles being thrown almost
to the ceilfsg, and scattered in shower
about the room.
With only very few exceptions the
cases have been confined to the convent
yet there have been enough TO raise /
question as to whether twas peculiar
to the community in this particuiar
building. There were in the cpny ssl
seventy pupils and like number 81
Sisters. who. have charge of the W
rious departments 10 ooiSs "a Them
IL is much less visleht thaA in 6thsrs
In some it continues Nd moro than %
hour; with Others it has 1 dusati6n q
two or three weeks. =
A curious case 10 reported froU
Ohillicothe. One If the pupin at "a,
convent, > young LADY, had gee hdlni
possessed OF this strange malady, and
having recovered. q she aupp6esd
went to church. During the service,
she felt tbs disease returning. and
CHANGING to look srspnd noticed thai
two little oirls, daAdiAg jast be6ix1
her IN the church. shai suddenly beer
similarly affected. AZ
TIE ACCIDENT AT NAxArxo Fur
Their dssails csoesrning ne exploas,