The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-17
DISEASE IN HAM.
1hree Cases OF Irichiniasis in q
Cherry Street Tenement.

Ihree Cases OF Irichiniasis in a
Cherry Street Tenement.
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.-Dr. IL. Freeman
of No. 30 jefferson street is authority for
the statement that trichiniasis, the terrible
disease that makes its way into the human
system through the eating Of diseased meat,
is again in the city. 1t is only few weeks
since three persons died from this disease in
st. Francis hospital after suffering untold
agony, and the public has not vet forgotten
the story of their suffering.
DR.. freeman reported yesterday to the
board of health that there were three cases
OF 1t in one house. Mrs. Dorothy Diecke
widow, lives In the second story of a
tenement at No. 220 Cherry street with her
son Charles. lad of IS and a daughter who
is year older. Charles has been employed
as an errand boy in a carpenters shop at
No. 90 Ann street, aud his sister worked in
store on Grand street. Between them
they managed to make a fair living for
themselves and their widowed mother
Mrs. Dlecke purchased some boiled ham
on July and the family ate some of it for
supper, and the next day the children took
several slices of it with their lunch. On
July all the family were taken sick. They
were attacked with vomiting and pains.
These are the first symptoms Of trichiniasis
merely thought that they had eaten some
thing that "had disagreed with them" They
paid little attention to the matter at the
time and thought they would be all right
in a day or two"
Mrs. Diecke and her daughter, who had
partaken sparingly of the ham, were not
very sick, and they were able to go about
their usual avocauons in two or three days.
DIR. Freeman says that they are now nearly
T1NOEarad and Tint THAR str
tions and the fact that they ate but little of
the meat has saved their lives.
The lad Charles was not SO fortunate. He
was confined to his bed for two weeks, dur
ing which time he suffered terrible agony.
He was restless. feverish aud in great pain
all the time. He then got a little better
aud returned to his work. In ano Their
week he suffered relapse and went back
to his bed. where he now lies.
Trichiniasis is a very rare disease in this
city. DR.. Freeman says that these are the
first cases that he has seen in all his medical
practice, and many physicians 60 lifetime
without having any experience with it,
This may account for the fact that it was
not Immediately recognized by the ply
siolans who were called in by the Diecke
family. The disease is produced by null
tltude Of tiny worms which are communi-
Gated to the human system through the dis
eased 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.
DIR. Carr. DR.. Hall and several other ply
sicians we're called in to prescribe for the
sufferer. Great trouble was experienced in
getting correct diagnosis. The disease
was at first thought to be scarlet fever,
then inflammation of the bowels, then ty-
phoid fever or inhammatory rheumatism,
When DR.. Freeman was called Ia he pro-
nounced it trichinIasis, and Drs. Baker and
Foster, who were subsequently called in
consultation, agreed with them. They say
that the boy is slowly improving, and that
he will recover. DIR. Cyrus Edison Of the
board Of health will examine the patient
this morning and decide what steps are
necessary.
The lad was seen last evening. He had
been lying in a kind Of a 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.