The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-11-16
MANY WERE
EXPOSED
PUPIL OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL FOR
BLIND HAD CIPHTHERiA.
SHE WAS SHIPPED FROM Lam.
SING TO MONROE.
MONROE CONSIDERABLY STIRRED
UP OVER THE MATTER.

Monroe, Mich, Nov l2.-About q
year ago Henrietta Birns, IL years old
was sent from Dundee. this county, to
the Michigan school for the blind, Ian
sing About 10 days ago the superin
tendents of the poor of this county
were notified TO come and remove her
as she was becoming feeble-minded.
Superintendent Gaertner went to Ian
sing on Wednesday. found the girl sick
but the authorities of the state blind
school seemed anxious to get rid OF
her, and he brought her to Monroe
Friday afternoon. but she was SO sick
that the nurse who had been caring
for her at the blind institution accom-.
panied them. Henrietta was unable to
sit up during the journey from Lansing
to Monroe. On her arrival here the
party was driven to the sheriffs resi-.
dence, where the sheriff's wife, who
examined her, saw she was suffering
from some throat troupe and sum
moned County Physician Dave. Ii is
said that the Lansing nurse admitted
that there was tonsilitis at the blind
school. County Physician Dave found
the girl suffering from cerebro spinal
meningitis. complicated with malig
nant diphtheria.
The apparent imbecility may be at
tributed to the incipient meningitis.
while he is positive that diphtheria
must have developed at least four days
before she left Lansing. from the con.
dition of ner throat on her arrival at
Monroe
DR.. Dave at once summoned City
Physician Knapp and DR.. Heath in con.
cnltofinn III thrnn a UranH i'm tho dag
nosis of the disease, and the city ply
stefan made a report of the case to the
state authorities at Lansing. The pa.
tient was taken to the county house,
but the keeper refused to accept her,
and she was returned to the sheriff's
residence There being no contagious
disease hospital in this city she is be.
ing cared for in the female ward of the
county Jail by a trained nurse from
Detroit and is in a very critical condi
ton.
DIR. Dave forcibly expresses himself
as to a physician who would diagnose
cere5ro spinal meningitis as imbecility
and says this might account for dag
nosis of diphtheria as tonsilitis. 1t is
considered by the public here as an
outrage that this girl should be sent
from Il state INSTITUTION dl the Hedu
quarters of the state board of health
be permitted TO travel on a railroad
from Lansing to Monroe and be driven
through the public streets here. all the
time suffering from a fully developed
contagious disease of the most malig
nant character.
Lansing, Mich, Nov. 12.-Henrietta
Birns was returned to Monroe by the
authorities of the Michigan school foI
the blind as an imbecile after an eX
animation by two physicians not con
nected with the institution. At that
time it is stated one Of the physicians
noticed couple Of pa-ches on heI
tongue, but it was supposed to be the
result of the hereditary ailment with
which she is afflicted, and no further
attention was paid to it. That was or
! Wednesday. The girl was taken away
on Friday and Mrs. Eliza f. Bush, the
matron of the school. had no idea there
was anything wrong with the girl be
yond what was discovered on Wednes
| day.