Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-29
DEATH IN A. KISS.
A Most Remark able Case Which is
Puzzling the Medical Profession.

uLLlihS Inc nAeOIcal PfOIesSlOh'
From the Xseo York World.
The death of little Georgie Cutter, the
| 2-year-old child of DIR. George r. Gutter,
of Bedford avenue and Taylor street,
Brooklyn, at the residence Of his grand
father, Mir. J0hn ID. Prince, in Flatbnsh,
has given rise TO much speculation on
the part OF eminent physicians, and the
real cause OF death will no doubt be the
theme OF medical debate for years to
come. The strange symptoms and sud-
denness of death make the case a re-
markable one. Grandfather Gutter, who
appears to have been the primary, though
of course innocent cause of the little
ones taking off, is well known in New
York philaEthropic circles and has had
much to do with the betterment of the
condition OF State prison inmates. About
SIX weeks ago DR.. Cutters mother died of
dlphtheria, and shortly afterwards her
husband, who had been ailing with threat
and ear troubles, the supposed result Of
blood poisoning, visited his son, the doc
tor, at his Bedford avenue residence, for
the purpose of obtaining his advice. Mr..
Cutter was more dead than alive when he
reached his sons house and had to be
aided upstairs. DR.. Cutter. DR.. Latham
| and several other specialists who had
been called in saw that there was no hope
for the old gentleman and determined
that he was victim of blood poisoning.
lie died shortly afterwards.
When he entered the house his two little
grandchildren, Essie, aged 4 wears, and
George, aged year and IL months, ran
to meet him, and he took the former into
his arms and kissed her. 1t is not known
whether or not be kissed George, but it
is thought that he did not. On the day
following Essie was taken with the
dlphtheria, and from that time up to the
present has fingered between life and
death. Fearful OF results should the
disease be communicated to George, the
parents obtained the services of a trained
nurse and sent the little one to it's
mothers parents home in Flatbush. This
was on Sunday two weeks ago. The little
fellow was as lively as a cricket from
that time up to Tuesday of last week. A
small sore began to work its way through
the skin on the right side OF the neck. At
first it was scarcely visible, but it grew
J rapidly and caused the little fellow much
uneasiness. A small plaster was placed
| over 1t in order to prevent his scratching
it. 1t finally became so painful that he
| tore the plaster away and made a slight
| incisiOn in it with his nails. AS he grew
visibly worse minute by minute DR.. Ho-
J mer l.. Bartlett, who is a near neighbor Of
| Mr.. Prince, was summoned and at once
| diagnosed the case and announced that
the little one had dipbtheria of the most
malignant form. On Wednesday the child
grew steadily worse. DR.. Ingraham,
prominent specialist, was called in con-
sultation. DR.. Cutter was also summoned,
| and the three remained at the bedside Of
the little sufferer until Thursday morn
ing, when George died. The little one
was buried in Greenwood on Friday.
The general impress sion prevails that
! little Essie was fmpregnated with the
/ hOr nj
that she afterwards, even before she had
! shown symptoms of such mpregnation,
! had communicated the disease to her
| little brother through kissing him, as the
two were constant plsy-fellOws and were
seldom out of each others company.
DR.. Bartlett could not be seen yester-
day, but the reporter saw and had a con-
versation with Mr.. John D. Prince, who
said:
81 think that the case is one of the most
remarkable on record. Up to the Tues
day night when the symptoms began to
! show themselves we had no thought of
danger, and little George had merely been
removed to my house to avoid any posi-
| BILE though not anticipated trouble The
| first intimation we had of anything wrong
was the appearance OF the little sore,
scarcely larger than a pimple at first, but
which spread rapidly. DR.. Bartlett was
| Immediately called in, and other emil
nent physicians, among them DR..
| Ingraham, did all in their power to save
him, but without avail. DR.. Bart
lett said that the poor little fellows sys-
TEN was thoroughly permeated with the
! poison, and that it was one of the worst
and strangest cases that he ever saw.
| Georgie's grandfather Cutter was not es-
pecially suffering from throat trouble,
but with trouble of the ears, although his
throat was badly inhamed with bronchial
affection. 1t was for the ear trouble that
he had visited his son, who is a specialist
in eye and ear diseases. 1t is presumed
that when he kissed little Essie be COM
municated the disease to her, and that
she, in turn, communicated it to her little
brother.'
Little Essie Cutter, although not con-
sidered out of danger, was yesterday as
well as could be expected, ana eminent
physicians were closely watching the
ever-changing symptoms Of her strange
case.
DR.. Bartlett will communicate the full
particu lars of the case to the medical
fraternity at large IN a future commuui-
| cation to the Regents.