The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-16
Poison I'm the Cream.PuG.

Poison I'm the Cream-Puff.
DANCERS LURKING IN SWEET DEsSERr-THE
CREAy-PUFF DOES ITS BEST TO STOP An
AMATEUR THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE.
philadelphia Times.I
At Il large house on spruce street, III Tue
fashionable residence quarter, about nun
dred people were on Friday last thrown
into a temporary state OF CONSERVATION,
and many into condition Of physical col
lapse, by the poisonous effect OF lot OF
cream-putis, eaten as q part OF the dessert
after dinner. The large house on the
northeast corner Of Broad and Spruce
streets and the one adjoining it, No. 1879
Spruce street, open into one another,
and are occupied by Mrs. A. A. Wistar'
On the evening IN question private
parlor entertainment, consisting OF anna
teur theatricals and musical selections,
was TO take place. Rehearsals bad been
in progress for weeks and great prepara-
tions had been made to make the affair
success. A stage had been arranged,
curtain fixed, and at the appointed hour OF
s O'Clock, when the preliminary musical
performance by children with triangles,
tambouripes. and other Instruments was
about TO begin, everything seemed to be IN
readiness. The prompter was getting
ready Tor the play and some OF the per-
formers. in their quaint and rich old-IaSh-
ioued English costumes, had come upon
the stage in order tO hear the music from
behind the scenes.
THE DEADLY CRRAM-PUFF'S WORK.
suddenly the Intelligence came that the
musical lady, who had arranged that part
OF the performance, had been taken sud-
denly and seriously i'll. Doctors had been
sent Tor and servants were running hither
and thither in great excitement. In few
minutes il was learned that 4 BRIGHT boy,
one OF the choristers in It. Marks Episco-
pal church, was suffering from something
resembling cholera morbus,a and his mother,
i'm full evening dress, was by his side.
More doctors began to arrive, and there
was cry for Stomach-pumps. Many
friends from outside had been invited, and
these forming the audience and seated IN
front OF the curtain, began to be impatient:
Intelligence OF the sickness OF the musical
lady soon reached their ears. In about
FIVE minutes news came down stairs that
the young lady who was to take the most
important part in the play had been seized
while dressing with the same violent
symptoms and was in an almost dangerous
condition. Affairs began TO look blue.
Tle young lady's friends hurried to her
apartment and waited breathlessly outside
for the doctors report. His orders were
peremptory that she should not be dis
turbed. Under no circumstances would
she be able TO take part in the play. An
other lady was mean time studying the
part. While this was going on, 4 bright
and viyacious young lady, who had taken
great interest in the play. was also stricken
down in her room.
THE CONTAGION SPREADING.
Intelligence also came from 1887 Spruce
street, the house next door, that two other
persons were affected. To cap the climax,
a Young married lady, who was also in the
play, upon going TO her room found that
her child's nurse had fallen TO the floor in
commissions Of pain. The effect upon the
people Of the household and upon the au-
dienee was startling.
As to the cause. At dinner, which took
place a few hours before the time set for
the performance, many OF the family par
took OF cream-puffs, which were served for
dessert and looked unusually tempting.
Every one made sick had eaten the cream
puts. Some, however, had eaten them
who were not affected. G.. Byron Morse.
who served the cream.putfs, has this To
say in explanation: Something OF the
same kind happened TO me once before.
Just now eggs are scarce and dear, and
eggs that are little stale or positively bad
are likely to find their way into lots.
Three-iourths Of the pufi-paste and most
Of the inside custard Is made OF eggs. Ii
is very hard to be sure OF every egg, and,
in my opinion, the sickness was caused, as
the sickness IN recent case OF salad eat
ing, by the accidental Introduction OF a
bad egg. Formerly the ingredients were
prepared in copper vessels, but there were
so many cases OF sickness that all the first
class confectioners now use porcelain
lined vessels Mine are OF that sort, and
therefore il could not have been copper
poisoning" In order 10 show his conf
dence III his pufls Mr.. Morse ate one him.
SELF
CORN-STARCH DANGEROUS
One OF the doctors who attended some
OF the cases furnishes different theory,
which agrees with one also given by a
well-known professor in one OF the col
leges. He says "The outside crust OF the
puffs is kept on hand without injury for q
day or two. When the inside custard ~
fresh no harm results. But 1t Is an expen-
sive and perishable preparation. and many
orders are given only a few hours in adj
vance OF the time wanted. EXigepcies
arise where the custard is kept over day
or night. In such cases chemical change
takes place in the eorn-starch and fiavorir z
extract. A minute vegetable fungi Is
formed, which, when taken into the
stomach, terminates and, with delicate
organizations, becomes poisonous. The
corn starch is really the trouble. Not long
ago twenty EIGHT persons We're poisoned by
one batch Of the puns. About year ago
nearly everybody in a large residence on
Rttenhouse Square was made seriously i'll
by cream-putis from Walnut-street cater
er. At another time nearly every one In
Mrs. Lippncot's house was poisoned by
puts from coniectloner on Fifteenth
street"
Later In the evening, against the advice
OF her physician, the young lady In the
play referred to, with great pluck went
through her part, and yesterday all who
had been sick were able to be about. The
affair naturally has caused great deal OF
excitement IN circles where articles from
caterers are continually used In evening
entertainments without the least hesits-
ton.