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Domestic News December 31, 1852

The Nevada Journal

Nevada City, Nevada County, California

What is this article about?

German emigrants on a New Orleans steamer mistook castor beans for food at Selma, ate them, suffered severe stomach issues mistaken for cholera, leading the captain to quarantine the boat.

Clipping

OCR Quality

98% Excellent

Full Text

A Castor Oil Epidemic.--On a late trip of one of our New Orleans steamers, she was crowded with German emigrants. As might be expected, their appetite for fruit and vegetables, after a long sea voyage, was most voracious. At Selma, a short distance below this city, the boat received some fifteen or twenty sacks of castor beans, consigned to Mr. Blow. The appearance of the bean, "good to the eye," excited the cravings of the emigrants. Finally, curiosity and appetite triumphed; a bag was surreptitiously opened, a large pan full extracted, and a huge luncheon of soup prepared. In a short time the passengers in the cabin, and the officers of the boat, were startled by the report that the cholera, in its worst form, had broken out on deck. On going below, they found that the castor oil was doing its work. The bag lay exposed, and a large pot full of this rare delicacy steaming hot on the table. The thing was soon solved, and the captain had to go into quarantine, because, as he said, "the Dutch didn't know beans."
St. Louis Rep.

What sub-type of article is it?

Accident Migration Or Settlement Shipping

What keywords are associated?

Castor Beans German Emigrants New Orleans Steamer Selma Cholera Scare

What entities or persons were involved?

Mr. Blow

Where did it happen?

Selma

Domestic News Details

Primary Location

Selma

Event Date

On A Late Trip

Key Persons

Mr. Blow

Outcome

passengers suffered from castor oil effects, mistaken for cholera; captain quarantined the boat

Event Details

German emigrants on New Orleans steamer crowded after sea voyage; at Selma received sacks of castor beans consigned to Mr. Blow; emigrants opened bag, made soup from beans; caused illness; captain quarantined due to 'Dutch didn't know beans'

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