New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-31
AN EPIDEMIC IN IOWA.
AN ALARMING PREVALENCE OF DYsENTERY ]!


COUNTY.
DUBUQUE Iowa, July 30.-A disease akin to chol-
erals ravaging Centre Point, Linn County, in this
State. Fully twenty persons have died from its
effects during the past thirteen days. ana an equl
number have been Frustrated by it. 1t rs also rag
ing Walker, a little town seven miles from Centre
Point several deaths having occurred there. An
order for forty coflius was received by Dubuque
undertaken from Centre Point Yesterday. The ply
scians at Centre Point are out, and, the resi-
dents are fleeing from the place
NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 3O.-Dr; ), D. Plunketl
president of the Sanitary Council OF the Mississippi
Valley, to-day received the following dispatch from
The Mayor of Centre Point, Iowa: The report sent
abroad Of our having cholera at this point is ell
tirely false. We have "a number OF cases OF dysen-
terry proving fatal only among children OF the hrst
and second summers"
DUBUQUE. Iowa July 3O.-The correspondent of
The Herald at Centre Point Iowa, telegraphs that
the cholera epidemic" the local physicians call
IT, still on the increase Not less than 90 cases are
reported in the town and immediate neighbOrhoOd,
with deaths occurring every hour. Six deaths re-
ported at the town of Walker, distant only a few
miles from Centre Point. from the same disease,
which is indication of its epidemic OF contagious
character which is truly alarming.
ANOTHER DEATH IN NETWORK.
TIRE sTRwARDEss OF The BRIG WALLACE, FROM
HAVANA, DIES AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL
Margaret Cregan, who has been a patient for
some days at the Presbyterian Hospital, died Tues
day afternoon of yellow fever. She had come TO
New-York on the I'd of July as stewardess on board
the bark Wallace, from Havana June 10. The vessel
was detained in quarantine for several days. On
July %, Margaret Cregsn, who had been suffering
for several days from what was believed to be in
termittent fever was sent to the Presbyterian Hos
ptal by DR.. Dana. assistant-surgeon of the Marine
Hospital. The certificate Of DR.. Dana stated that
the case was intermittent fever
Up to this time the sick woman had not been too
III to travel and she went to the hospital in care of
Captain Mccormick, without any special difficulty.
Az the hospital the receiving physician Dr. Little,
examined her and made the same diagnosis
as DR.. Dana. On the day that she was
received, the mate Of the Wallace was dis
charged, having been in the hospital several DAYS
with chills and fever. The symptoms in both of
the cases appeared to be the same.
The sick woman was placed IN Ward !. which has
twelve beds, and had at that time eleven patients.
afflicted with rheumatism, dropsy and diseases Of a
similar Character. As the symptoms appeared to be
unchanged she treated for chills and fever
early Tuesday morning, when marked change
occurred. During the six hours that followed the
patient became very yellow. She died at 1870 p IN.
She conscious until two hours before death, and
had no suspicious of what the disease was These
were not treated fOryelOw fever.
The suspicious of the authorities AZ the hospital,
however, sufficiently aroused TO take
al precautionary steps pO>SlDlc 10 plFNtuJ
any Infection Of the place. An iron coffin
was Immediately sent for the body was
sealed mp II it, and removed to the dead
house. The other patieuts in the room were imme-
diatey removed to other wards, aud the clothes
and bed-clothing of the deceased patient were
burned, Word was sent 30 the Board
of Health, and DR.. Day went TO
the hospital to look into the case. He examined
the body but came to conclusions as to what the
desease had been. An autopsy OF the body was
made yesterday, between ~ aud l o'clock by
DIS. Day, Janeway and Porter, of the
Board of Health, and DIR. Ransdell of
the hospital, all of whom agreed that
it was genuine OF yellow fever
Black v0mit found in the stomach and other
Signs were present that LETT no doubt in their minds
as TO the correctness of their conclusions
Meanwhile the Board OF Health had ordered the
ward 10 be thoroughly dislnfected. After being
subjected to process of fungaton for about sixteen
hours il was thrown open to the air The health
officers made an examination of the apartment to-
day. and sald that the work OF dislDfecOn had been
thorough, aud in fact more had been done than
really necessary. The room is one Of the most cOmmO
eious apartments IN the hospital. 3ud Is furnished
il hard wood which is much less liable TO absorb
polsons than those that are painted.
during the time the woman was confined in the
hospital there were three patients discharged from
lAe ward. woman, whose name was not given,
ielt the hospital early Tuesday morning She said
tne was going 20 Europe on board the IelVetla but
II is not known 10 what part Of the city she went
on leaving the hospital. A servant by the name of
3iaTy Rltchie, who had been in the ward since June
YV, also received her discharge aud went to the
AVAne OI her sister, at NO. 3l7 Last SeVeuLauth-st.