Amador ledger., 1907-01-25

also her twelve year old daughter
who also partook of the Saturda.
diner at Ferrasci's. On Monda,
MrsCanonica hud experienced no il
effects, except pain in the stomach
and as a precautionary measures
she was given an emetic and purglnl
medicines, which acted freely. Tit
child did not complain at all and wa
not treated at all on Monday. The
two jackson physicians returned tt
town about 3 O'Clock in the after
noon, and reported at both patient:
we're in dangerous condition, and
likely to die DR.. Griffin remained
with the patients. The poison, what
ever its nature, had ample time tc
work through the system, and little
conld be done after such a length ui
time had transpired to counteract its
deadly work.
Mrs Canonica died early Wednesday
morning, in the same manner in
which the others had passed away. A
peculiar feature of her case was that
she had assisted in laying out the
bodies of the victims that preceded
her, and had not 1manifetesd up to
that time the premonitory symptoms
that she herself was infected.
Since Wednesday night the Canonica
child has taken decided change for
the better. About three o'clock that
morning she had a bad spell, after
which she improved matrially, and
the reports since are to the effect
that she continues to mend. The
chances seem to favor her recovery.
She is able to swallow, to talk, and
to eat.
An inquest was held by the coroner
Wednesday afternoon at the Canonica
residence near Tabeaud reservoir OF
the body of Mrs Canonica, who died
that morning, supposedly from the
effects of ptomaine poisoning from
partaking of the preserved string
beans at Ferrasci's. The investigation
was formal one. Coroner Potter
took up four jurors from Jackson,
and secured three others from Tie
ueighborhood of the deceased's home.
The jury were not in possession OF
sufficient facts to pronounce with
any degree of certainty upon the
cause of death, and adjourned. The
searching Investigation will be
made when the analytical chemist has
reported.
1he names and ages of the victims
are as follows in the order of their
deaths:
Miss Erm1ni Cottini, aged II years,
Mrs Marie Ferrasci, aged 4S years.
Lydia Ferrasci, aged 10 years.
James L. Ferrasci, aged II years.
Mrs Maria A Cauonica, aged Al years
DR.. a. P. Griffin of Volcano. was
called into the cases. When he
arrived at the Ferrasci home two of
the victims were already dead; the
third was dying, and passed away
within half an hour after his reaching
there. He remained with the patient
,teadily from the time he got there,
and was also present nearly all
through the Canonica cases. He
reports that everything possible was
done to arrest the disease, in some
cases from the first symptoms to the
last stage, but all efforts seemed
fruitless.
The remnant of the Ee1rascl family
namely the father, Theresa, aged
Is, and the two youngest girls, aged
) and Z respectively, came to jackson
Monday, and are staying at the resi-
tence of VIM. Tam on Court street.
The father feels the misfortune
keenly, and the eldest daughter, is
also prostrated by the bereavement.
rhe family was most interesting
and intelligent one. The boy was
particularly bright. The funeral of
the four victims will take place to
lay, having been postponed so long
to enable the father of Miss Cottini
to reach here.
The talk in some quarters that the
nalady is black dIphtheria, trying to
create the impression that it is con-
iagious. is pronounced nonsense by
the doctors. There is nothing analo-
gous in the symptoms to those of
tiphtheria, or any other epidemic.
The cases being of rare character.
it is not surprising that the medical
experts are perplexed. They would
puzzle any physician anywhere. The
'ymptoms are not similar to those
developed by ordinary poisons, such
as strychnlne, arsenic and morphine,
and other we'll know drugs. OF
course, the almost universal opinion
Is that the deaths were caused by
what Is called ptomaine poisoning.
But this term covers an almost
infinite diversity of poisons. BY this
phrase is meant poison generated by
decomposlng organic matter, whether
animal or vegetable. A popular de-
luslon is. that ptomaine poisoning can
only develop where metallic canned
meats or vegetables are partaken of
that the metal of the cans is an
essential feature of such poisoning.
And as the beans in the cases under