Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

81 NORFOLK, VA January Especial.
8. Thirteen deaths and three victims. W.
q may die. IS the record to date. Of the to.
which the Portsmouth and Norfolk polio
have been instructed to confiscate. -
5 cases of iockjaw that have resulted from
s. the use Of the little weapons that nr
s blank cartridges have been appalling
II Other case are reported from ali quarter:
s. 81 where the eale Of the toy pistol wa'
. permitted.
81 Since last night, the dead are:
q GEORGE WRIGHT. aged IL
s# LEWIS CALVERT. aged Il.
81 LYNN WALKER, janitor of the Nava.
IS iouag Mems Christian Association.
"a GEORGE SPENCE.
81 JOHN TURNER. colored
a NORMAN GoLDRCG.
81 Physicians are greatly interested in the
q cases. Every one of them has resulted
4 from wounds in the hand from a toy
pistol firing blank cartridges.
Are Germs In the Air.
Or. Charles L. Parrish stated that the
d tetonus germ might be in the atmosphere
Il End could readily be absorbed by an opel
i wound. and. moreover. that the terrible
d r1alady might have its origin III the wad-
4 ding or other parts of the charge used
in the pistols. DR.. Parrish was particular
e ly severe on the laxity OF the law which
permitted such deadly weapons to set into
the hands of children.
DR.. Culpeper's Views.
DR.. Y. G. Culpeper said that the cases
u that have developed In the past week
make IL quite apparent that the tetanus
u germ is In this section. This being the
case. any wound, just at present, is liable
8Sto develop into lockjaw. The fact that
.tflere have been in this city during the
81 past four days more ases of lock ia H
i than have developed here In twenty years
ST before demonstrates the fact that the
Il germ is here. and that a wound Is a
thousand times more likely to develop
tetanus now than under normal condi-
{ tons. The doctor takes no stock in the
idea that 81 is the toy pistol itself that
does the damage.
DR.. f. H. Parker believes that there
IS poison in the powder used In the pis-
. tolls He ascribes the prevalence Of the
the disease Of tetanus among the victims
Of The little pistol to this cause.
Health oniccr Hopes op:nion
DR. Frank S. Hope. health officer sub
scrfbes to the germ theory, but says the
bacillus may have been imported in the
waddng OF the cartridges used in the
pistols The little weapons are single and
Ave shooters. and eject the cartridge.
Wounds from the brass shells are also
mentioned as a probable cause of poison
ing,
The Dead.
The complete death list at this writing
IS as follows:
JESSE EATON. 8 years old, died last
night at parents home. 2ll North street
Park View.
LEWIS CALVERT. u years old. died
last night at parents residence. in South
Portsmouth
JOHN WHITE, (colored,. years old. of
Norfolk.
Norfolk
SAM WILKINS. tcolored,. of Lincoln
vile.
WALTER BRUMsBY. years old, of
NcrfoDs
HAROLD HoRNEY. years old. of
Norfolk.
GEORGE WRIGHT. Ii years old, of
Berkley
CHARLES MORRIS. 1s years old. of
West Norfolk.
LYNN WALKER, % years old.
GEORGE SPENCE, seaman U. S. S.
Lancaster.
JOHN TURNER (colored,, Norfolk
rounty.
NORMAN GoLDRUG.
Dangerously III.
Frank Hume, youngest son Of the late
John h Hume. aged 3 years.
Louis Mcleod, of South Norfolk.
Willie Miller. aged %. Washington ave-
me. Hunterviile.
Percy Wurt, aged 10 years.
Harry Merchant, London street, Ports
mouth
- sprague Clifton Turner. (colored>.
aged s years. 22S James street.
Vincent White. Colley avenue. Atlantic
City
Four other suspected cases are in Ports
mouth. but they are not sufficiently de-
veloped TO determine whether they are
lockjaw cases or not