Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-08-05
CHARGE AGAINST Or. coRKRAN.
a Maryland Circular Accuses uisn of
Changing . peath Cartificnte

Changing a Death Certificate.
The Philadelphia Inquirer OF yesterday
contained an editorial charging DR.. M.F
Corkran of this city with allowing a
body TO be shipped which was impreg.
mated with the germes of diphtheria. The
body spoken Of was the grandson OF
Arthur Thomas OF Prospect, Md. The
child became i'll at the home of its
parents, No, 8l4 South Franklin street.
The disease which the child had was
membraneous Group or croupus-pnsu-
monia. DR. ]. A. Draper was called into
consultation. The case was pronounced
hopeless, but nothing was said about
the case having diphtheria tendencies
When the child died, DR.. Corkran
gave certificate OF death from croupus
pneumonia with dipbtheretio tenden-
cies. Arthur Thomas brought the Ger.
tiheEte back TO DR. Corkran. requesting
him to change 1t as J. A. Wilson, who
was the undertaken, had told him that
the railroad companies would not remove
the body from ths city had they known
that the cause Of death was diphtheria.
Thomas persisted, and at last Or.
Corkran gave him certificate OF death
from lung trouble. The health officer Of
Hartford county gave report, a copy Of
which DR.. CorkraR received, stating the
following:
The body OF a grandchlld of Arthur
Thomas was brought from Wilmington
on June IL, 1880. by Arthur Thomas and
his daughter. The certificate for trana-
portaslon was given Of death from lung
trouble. The coffin was opened and =
public funeral WAS held on June 1S. 1890.
The body was embalHed, though no anti
septic precautions were taken or no zino
lining made to the casket. On Friday.
June 30 Matte Thomas, aged Is years
was taken with diptherla. She
died June 93, and was buried prl
vately the same day. Sallie L., aged
ii years, was taken June 23d and died
Monday Both, and was buried privately
the same day. Maggie L.. aged 10 years.
was takeR June 20, and died Jwly 81;
buried July 2, privately. Robert 7. i,
was taken July .. died 9th and was
buried 9th. BENJAMIN T., taken July 8.
died 9th, and was buried with Robert T.
same day. The funeral was private.
David L., adult, was taken July 5, and
had = slight attack He recovered.
Oliver T., adult, was sick for several
days, though not with throat trouble.
II found that the excrets, vomit and
sputa had been put in a hole in the
ground and covered with esrth without
disinfecting. had the top heavily
coated with lime and more earth thrown
on, and ordered that 1t should not be
opened. found the rooms had been
fumigated with sulphur, bichloride Of
mercury, used in washing, etc. | or
dered two beds, a carpet and the bed
clothing to be burned, which will
be replaced at the expsnse Of
the Health Board, and also ordered a
yellow flag to be hung Out. l understand
from reliable sources in the neighborhood
that the physician attending the child in
Wilmington refused to give certificate
for carrying the body on the railway, and
the family secured the necessary certif-
cate from another physician. / am,
very respectfully, j. @. BUTLER"
II is stated that these people did not
take the disease from the body OF the
child, but that they had the
disease themselves. Undertaken Wilson
thinks the child did not die Of diph-
liberia, and that the epidemic was not
caused BY the exposure Of the chlld's
body before burial