The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-08
SUDDEN SICKNESS.
TNventyOne People in Chicago
Boarding House Stricken With q
Mysterious Epidemic.

CucAGo, Aug IA remarkable case Of
epidemic WHICH 50 far has defed attempts to
discover IT'S cause developed in this city at
West Sle boarding house at 43 West Lake
street, where twenty-one persons were taken
suddenly III at midnight with what was re-
ported t. be cholera. An investigation
showed that the disease was net cholera, how
ever TIE first symptom Of the trouble
showed itself when Mrs Lizzie Taylor was
suddenly taken with violent cramps aud
pains in the stomach These were followed
by vomiting and chills Hardly had
her sickness become known in the
house when child, a little daughter
of W e, Van Osdel, tegan vom
iting and had similar pain and cramps Mrs
Van OSel arose to attend her child, and while
standing by her bed suddenly fell to the iioor
with the same symptoms and as her husband,
who is lieutenant of hook and -lacder company
No. 9, was away, she was forced to remain 10
terrible pain and exposed to the night air
until morning In the meantime others
were suffering in the same way in nearly
every room in the house, men, women, and
children, all having been seized with the
same painful trouble. In many cases there
was fever aud weakness Of the limbs attended
with diarrhoea
DIR Picker was summoned aud the cases
multiplied on his hands ALL through the morn
ing hours and forenoon At noon there were
seventeen sufferers. Most Of them suffered in
the cerebral region, their heads were hot,
and sharp pains ran down their SPINAL cords
Dr.. Picker found the temperature OF Mrs.
Taylor TO be lO3 and she had perhaps the
most violent attack of all Some had violent
throbbing pains apparently on the top of the
head and many had choleraic discharge OF
the bowels No two cases were exactly alike
or yielded to the same treatment. In many
cases the attack was instantaneous and
companied with weakness of the knens A
servant girl, known as Stella was on her way
to a sick-room, and suddenly dropped on the
stairs like Il log and was unable to move DR.
Picker was kept busy dnring the day attend
ing them, and on his visit late at night found
four new victims making twenty-one suffer.
ers in all
No one at the house can explain the cause
Of the attack, and the physician confesses
himself at similar loss. All who were affect
ed dined at the house the day before, but there
WAS 10 dish Of which all partook except Pc
tatoes Some ate ice cream, made at the
hOuSp for dessert others alto watermelon
The attack WAS at first attributed to roast
veal bpt many suffer who did not eat that
# reouired al the POWERS of the physician Il,
| ,ersuade some Of them that they were not at
,ac,,od Nth ,.b,,ia,,, ~, tllocLer COWS thu
svnntoms show acute stomach roisoninp
lmt he WINS ut n loss tn exnIain If as there
Go, - ,,o itch IIoorh C,uo,;
.;,o I,.y,rltf ,,T,,,,o,,aI II, .bo 49,,
- :..-
~ f ,,r.,i and ,.,s;toI a,,,. s,,Caor
o. r.rd,,,,r,,;,,, IT,, h,,so 81 ,o;rbh-,.t,,,
: - 4 = -,
~ ~ o,l.I": ,'',: - e~'
90 -, 80 ,t.a II - lsa,..-a.,-
-. 80 S,as a.,
'"""5 u i,'''i,"' '"''io VI t',o oa' ,'oi s"''o'
5 ,.1. Wy .1'''
-, NJ. GO .
~ ." as sc
''''' i'a'''' "" ~,
'0'" y'"1 ~ ing oNPU'e" o I'''' "aH
oeeu p'a'e' VI 'no n"'"'N u ~ var "'',
'ea'''' inspector 'o' 'hc "est sac VINO VIII
'"'',e q ''''7 !" " ''e
! VI ''''H '''''T'l AN" "l''e'''I "''''eA. :.
'",' 1t Nv" ass 'o' w e''' AT
y, W. 'i'l ''o'o - NL."'''S ''""
.l,',' n 81 p''ll'o
w