The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-15
SICKNESS AND DEATH,

The Result of Indulcing IN Picnic Refresh
ments Prepared of Impure Materials or
in Impure yesseIs-TWo of the Victims
Dead and n Hundred and Fifty Others Ill.
COULTERsvILLE, H., July 7.-SickneSs
and death affiict the people of this place
and the surrounding country, and this
section of the State is more agitaied than
it has been for many years. The
citizens of this little village, re-
CARELESS of creeds or political opinions,
banded together over six weeks ago
and began making preparations for a
grand Fourth of July celebration. 1t
came off on Saturday, the Sd. So perfect
had been the announcements thereof that
it brought people in large numbers
from towns situated ten miles
from here. Sparta, Marissa and
Oakdale all contributed their quota, and
with the entire population of Coulters-
vile added, fully two thousand people
were present. For the purpose of sup
plying those in attendance with ice
cream two old tin freezers of four
from their hiding-placeS. They had been
Withdrawn from use since last summe r,
and possibly wear and tear of one year
had made them any thing but good ice
cream producers. The lady who had
them in charge on the dav of the picnic
gave them hot and cold water bath, and
was doubtless perfectly honest in The be-
lief that they were clean.
barrel, and when the attendant began to
serve it he was compelled, for the sake
of appearances, to fish out about alf
box of matches.
This combination of circumstances has
brought sickness and in two instances
death into the households of all those
who INDUCED in ice cream or lemonade
on the day of the picnic But strange
feature OF the affair is that the first case
OF sickness did not occur until twenty
four hours after the picnic Calls for
physicians came thick and fast on Sun
day afternoon until there were nearly
twenty-five sick people to one physician
in COultersville.
The preliminary symptoms of the at
tack i'll all cases were a severe frontal
headache and high fever. which were
soon followed by severe purging. The
patient then began to vomit green and
Serious matter, attended with horrible
spasmodic pains in the stomach and
bowels; the stomach retained nothing
whatever; pulse very marked and rapid,
l22, and the temperature los.
Your correspondent, through the kind
ness of DIR. Kane, visited several of the
stricken and in all instances the Symp-
toms referred to were present. Several
of the patients have been unable
TO eat anything for over sixty
hours. Congestion of the stomach
and bowels Is very marked. The local
physicians are very 10th to call it a pois-
oninG, but such ii certainly appears. One
physician did not believe it TO be cholera
mOrbus; if it is he considered it most
aggravated form.
The fact remains that all those who
touched ice cream and lemonade were
sending for medical aid tWenty-four hours
thereafter. On Monday morning the two
children of JAS. Wilson, Ada and Bessie,
aged respectively seven and three years,
after suffering intensely died. They
were buried Monday evening. As far
as can be ascertained fully $50 people are
now sick in bed and under medical treat
ment. OF this number COultersville con-
tributes one-half; MarisSa, q town ten
of whom are very low; Oakdale a half
dozen; Sparta four, and the surrounding
country the balance.