Emilie Heimgartner

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
January 17, 1893 (the article below was published in both of these newspapers)

FATAL TRICHINA.
The LeMars Sentinel says this week that a few days before Christmas, Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Heimgartner, who lived six miles southeast of Neptune, invited
some relatives and friends to join them at their home at a Christmas dinner.
A hog was killed and sausage made from the meat. Some of the meat was also
used on Christmas. The guests came and the day was enjoyed greatly.
Afterwards, Mr. Heimgartner was taken sick, but thought it only la grippe.
Mr. Heimgartner, his wife and daughter, Minnie, aged 14 years, were the
worst cases. Friday evening Mrs. Heimgartner died. Mr. Heimgartner is also
very ill, and it is scarcely possible for the 14-year-old girl to live.

Charles Binnboise, a relative, with his wife and 17-year-old son and Fritz
Ripke, a brother of Mrs. Binnboise, were also in attendance and have been
seriously affected by the trichina. Medicine was sent for in each of these
cases, on the supposition that it was la grippe. Afterwards, Saturday,
January 7, Dr. M. W. Richey was called. At this stage the victims had
symptoms very strongly resembling typhoid fever. When the trichina began to
work in the muscles, the doctor decided that it was a case of trichina and
began asking questions as to the meat eaten. He took some slices off the
piece of meat used and brought it to town. After examining it under a
powerful microscope, the doctor found that the meat was full of the deadly
worms.

There is but little to be done in the treatment of such cases, except it can
be done at a very early stage with emetics, before the trichina gets into
the system. About the only thing that could have been done after the
physician was called, which was two weeks after the meat was eaten, was to
give stimulating medicines, which was done.

Mrs. Heimgardner was buried Sunday in the Lutheran cemetery in Lincoln
township. She was thirty-seven years old and leaves a family of nine
children.