The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-14
A BEREAVED FAMILY.
sIX CHILDREN OUT OF A FAMILY OF EIGHT DIE
OF DIPHrHERIA WITHIN THIRTY DAYS-THE
GASES OF UNUSUAL NALIGNITY.
From the New York Times.

| 4 most affecting case OF family bereave
ment has recently occurred III this city onl
few weeks ago the family of Mr. Charlie
Cornell, of 203 East Thirty Fifth street, con
sisted of himself and wife and eight children
To-day his wife is living i'll. and but two 0
the children are alive, ali the rest having dice
Of diphtheria between February ani the :
inst A Times reporter called on DR.. Edwin
u EamsdeIl. the family physician. Yesterday
TO ascertain the particulars Lr. Rs,asde.
was much averse TO HAVING any pu,.c!t,
Given to the matter. bat IN view o{ the -.
element that it has. ALREADY caused il IA.
IncinLb0rhOoa he concluded 10 Give :, co.r5l
| ,tl c.nent 20 The press q. once.
Tie affair. he sad. had caused lin much
arief, As he had lu3wu AIr. Coraeu for many
| wears. and had rendered him professional. SCI
/ Wees Il, family physician ever since has mar
! riaca. and hal been present at the birth Of all
the { .idreD who h.l so recently died. Tie
/ tiys. cas. occurred. On February /. . little
pir. named Eliza, AGED seven, being taken
lex. On The third dily H.. ,esllGv assumed
!, .,an.,eaol, form. and ioy.,4d the larv1,x
the ,3llld DING on the 1tb Of .le month. Dn
February / / the baby. AGED .ix months. was
.akeI With the same disease. Int i IN, net
O. q ,aaljo.lf,t character. and WELDED "a trent
men.. I'M, .aila is now we'll O.. n. .Gfh
Mary. A.. d three. an! Phone Ie.,ere,. aoal
niue. were attacked, the disease assuming
even a more 1.Aiiq,.aIt type than in The fir,
ease. Phoebe Gie3 on the 20.h. .5ur DAY,
after the attack. and Mary on the 23t
The throats OF these children were very
much swollen, the :onsil, and unvuIa being
covered with rangrenous diphtLeric membrane
.ytenljng to the roof of the month. S.mTel
the eldest child, aged fol.rte u. was the next
victim. He wa, {. b,j.1r. active schoolboy
and hal ALWAYS enjoved good health. At one
time It was hoped he would be spared. IS the
gaugrene and diphtheric- membrane. had dis
appeared. Il AGAIN formed on the tCnsils and
uvala, however and he died On the IL ia
stant 4 cot forming III the heart ia cons.-
quence OF debility from his not being able to
take nourisLment to keep up the vital force.
On the 18th, the most malignant case 81 all
occurred. George, aged eleven, was affected,
and extensive gangrene sat in on the second |
day, and the ratient died on the 22d only |
four DAYS after being taken sick. having been |
perfectly Wei NJ to that time. On the 18th,
Thomas, aged five David, aged two, and Mrs !
Cornell, their mother. were all taken i'll. |
Thomas died on the 18th from sutf0catiOn. the |
membrane having invaded the larynX, com
)etely closing it. David is now thought to |
be out of danger. as the membrane has disap-
)eared from his throat Mrs Cornell. though |
weak, is doing well, as the attacI, in her case
sas mild. MIR. Cornell is the only member OF
he family who has not been attacked.
Ia reply to an inquiry as to whether there
night not be some local cause to which the ex-
rene severity of the disease might be attribu-
ed, Dr.. Ramsdeu said that listle over a wear
%. after several cases of renittent fever had
occurred in the family. he had discovered
bat drain which ran from the kitchen. which
, un9Proro11nI To the main seu.or wac OH
tructed, and that accommodations of sewage
ad frequently collected immediately under
be floor. Tais had been yemedied at the
me, and wnen he was called IN TO the
ipltheria eases he mace careful exnioation
+ the drain at once, and had fonnd if in ner.
,ct order. Day before Yesterday however
. had been told that there was another drain
aiming Immediately under the hoDse wIic1,
assed through the front cellar. Tbr6ngI
ais drain all the waste wafer etc from The
.rea bakery on tae corner Of Third 8ra-lna
nj Thirtv-tifth street. was carried into the
,a;n sewer. t,,on further i,,a1irv bo I..1rna5