The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-28
ONE is SAVED.
Will Nelson Spared After Ply
sicians Gave Up.
One Of the Victims of Terrible
Typhoid.
FOUR OTHERS DIED.
Fearful Example Of Ravages Of
This Disease.
Survivor Will Be Well For
Christmas.
FOUR OTHERS DIED.

Will Nelson, the fifth of the Nelson
children to be stricken with typhoid
fever and the only surviving one of
that number,is now convalescing at the
home of his parents in South Topeka.
He was able to leave the Stormont hos
pital a week ago. but it will probably
be Christmas time before he will be
able to be on the streets
Members of the staff of Stormont
hospital state that yOurg Nelson ac-
complished something that rarely
comes to the notice of the medical pro-
fessiOn in typhoid fever cases. He
steadily grew worse when first stricken
with the fever until he reached an alb
sOlute dying condition. At intervals
each day for several days nurses were
compelled to initiate his throat to aid
MIN IN swallowing During that time
he was deliriOus. and had repeated in
ternal hemOrrhages. For days his
death was expected at any moment,
but he finally rallied and commenced
TO recover. 1t IS seldom that typhoid
fever does not prove fatal when its vic
Tins reach the stage that young Nelson
was in for a continued time.
The history of the typhoid fever cpl
demic in the Nelson family is accompa-
MED by a record of greater mortality
than probably any other family in To-
peka has had the misfortune to bear.
Within six weeks from the time the
first child was taken i'll. three daugh-
ters and one son were buried.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. A Nelson live at
1725 Lincoln street. The family has re-
sided here for a. number of years, and
during that time Mr.. Nelson has been
engaged in the tailoring business. Prior
to August 25. the family consisted of
nine children.
Rosa, the 16-year-oId daughter was
the first TO suffer an attack of the fe-
yer. After an illness of ten days, she
died, but before her death Edith, a
daughter two years her junior, was ia
ken i'll. The second death in the Mel
son family occurred on September 5.
About the time of the death of the
second daughter, two more cases of
fever appeared in the Nelson house
hold. Ebba, aged p, and Rudolph. aged
10, were the victims. By that time the
physicians called in consultation had
decided that the drinking water at the
Nelson home was responsible for the
sickness. The well was closed and Ru-
dOlph was removed to the Santa Fe
hospital while Ebba was taken to the
StOrmOnt hospital
Both died after short illnesses, Ru-
dolph on September % and Ebba on
October 4. Before the death of his sis
ter, VIII Nelson was also an occupant
of the StormOnt hospital dangerously
i'll with the disease.
Two of the younger children were ia
ken i'll with a mild form of fever after
Ebba, Rudolph and VIII had been re-
moved to the hospitals. Serious COM
plicatiOns did not develop and they
quickly recovered.
Neither Mr.. or Mrs. Nelson or the
two remaining children were attacked
by the fever.
The well, the water of which is be-
HeVed to be responsible for the death of
the four children, still remains closed.
Samples of the water were forwarded
to the state university for analysis, but
a report has not yet been received. 1t