Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-16
DISEASE In THE HAM.
Terrible Torture of a Boy Suffering
With TrichinOsis. -'H
MOTHER AND SISTER AFFECTED.
The Slightest Touch Makes the Sufferer
Cry Out with Pain.
THE TROUBLE IS A VERY RARE ONE.

NEW YORK, Aug. 15.-In room where
the sun rarely shines, boy is tossing from
side to side of a big bed, showing in every
look and movement the most excruciating
agony. No need to wonder at the pain, for
his disease is trichinosis.
The boy is Charles Deicke. He is 16
years old, the son of Dorothea Deicke, a
widow. Up to July Charley was errand
boy for printer on Ann street. But the
boy has not worked since July 4. and the
chances are that he will never work again.
On that holiday Mrs. Diecke thought that
the evening meal should be of better quail
1ty than usual. So she sent her little girl to
buy some meat. The girl bought two pounds
ofcooked ham from the grocery of J. p.
Inborf All three Dieckeses ate heartily oft
ALL THREE ATTACKED.
That night each was taken with a severe
spell of vomiting The next day the
mother and daughter were fully recovered,
with the exception of feeling of weakness,
but Charley was in bed, the victim of
burning fever. A physician said that
the boy was suffering from scarlet fever.
Two days passed and the physician called
another in consultation. The second doctor
pronounced the disease typhoid fever.
Another day passed and the boy acted so
queerly, tearing at himself with his nails
and complaining of an insufferable itching,
third physician was called. He said that
ne had in1ammatory rheumatism. The boy
was dosed accordingly
At the end of two weeks he had recovered
to such degree that he could walk. He
secured work at carpenter shop and was to
have gone there a week ago last Monday.
But on Sunday of that week, while sitting
in the kitchen, he gave great erv, ran
over to the bed and threw himself upon it,
tearing at the sheets and shreiking aloud in
the frenzy of pain.
"Oh!'' he cried, they're eating me upp'
YOUNG DIECKE's TORTURE.
His mother, almost in mysteries, ran for
the nearest physician, DIR. H. Freeman.
He came and looked at the boy. After a
moment ne began to pinch the pain-rscked
hgure With every pressure on the flesh
there came cry of pain. All parts of
young Diecke's body excepting the ears and
nose, were abnormally sensitive to the
touch.
'Trichinosis, said Freeman.
Mrs. Diecke protested that the boy had
not eaten pork since July 4, but this only
added to DR.. Freeman's certainty, his
diagnosis having convinced him that the
death-dealing parasites had reached the
muscles of the lad
For nearly two weeks Dr. Freeman. br
use of stimulants, has managed to keep
Charley Diecke alive, despite the tortures
which rack his little body. Yesterday, how
ever, the case had reached such pitch that
DIR. Freeman notified DIR. Cyrus Edison, of
the Board of Health. Dr. Edison will investi-
gate the case and ascertain if any action
should be taken concerning the seller of the
diseased meat
A RARE DISEASE.
Trichinosis is very rare disease in, this
city. DR.. Freeman saws these are the first
cases that he has seen in all his medical
practice, and many physicians go lifetime
without having any experience with it.
This may account for the fact that it was
not Immediately recognized by the phvsi-
clans who were called in by the Diecke
family
The disease is produced by multitude Of
tiny worms which are communicated to the
human system through the diseased meat.
They develop in the intestines and then
make their way in myriads TO the muscles,
especially the voluntary muscles, where
they cause the patient great agony and
generally death.
The lad was seen by a reporter last even
ing. He had been lying in a kind of stupor
all day, but reused up when the reporter
entered the room. He screamed with pain
when the muscles of his arms, face or BODY
were touched, but said that he suffered
little pain except when he was touched
Last week, on the contrary, he was in great
pain, and he cannot yet bear to be moved
The ham which is supposed to have
caused the trouble was purchased at the
grocery store of j. P. Indorf Mr. Indorf
says that he has never had any complaint
from any of his customers, and he never
heard of the ham making anybody sick.