The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-04
MENINGITIS VICTIM IN CELL.
GIRL ARRESTED IS mn NK
SCREAMED IN AGONY.

Sent TO Hudson ST. Hospital. where Dec
tors NJ Last Discovered the TTulh
she Had Been Drinking Pretty ana
Neat-Stln Unknown -IliE heath Rate.
Policeman Fetscher Of the Church street
station found a young girl lying face down
ward on the sidewalk At Fulton and Church
streets early Saturday morning. She was
Unconscious Her hat was missing, one
shoe was unlaoed and her clothing was
disarranged She was rather pretty and
about p years old, the policeman thought
She had been neatly dressed.
The policeman took her by the shoulder
and shook her. She had been drinking
he was sure, 80 when she did not awake
he called the patrol wagon and ssut her
10 the station no ne. Thsre the matron
examined the gi1 and said she was
under the influence Of alcohol Fetscher
and the desk sergeant agreed that alco-
holism seemed 90 be the trouble. She was
locked up on the charge Of being drunk.
About O'Clock that afternoon the matron
heard the girl scream. She went 20 the
cell and couldn't quiet the young woman
She seemed 20 be suffering pain, but the
symptoms, the matron was sure, we're
plainly those Of delirium tremens. call
was made 70 the Hudson street hospital
and DR.. Cherry responded
He examined the girl and his diagnosis
was liquor. Then he took the prisoner TO
the hospital for treatment. Dr. Stone, the
house physician. talked to the girl for a
few minutes She said she had been drink
ing for a week, but that she had more the
matter with her than alcoholism. Then
she relapsed into Inconsistencies and has
been in that state ever since
Yesterday morning about . o'clock the
doctors made an examination Of her on
the theory that she might have cerebro-
spinal meningitis. A puncture over the
spinal column between vertebTB showed
them instantly that she was suffering from
the disease, The record on the hospital
blotter was changed then from delirium
tremens 20 meningitis, Yesterday morn
ing the policeman who made the arrest
withdrew the charge OF drunkenness before
Magistrate Cornell in the Tombs police
court
The girl gave name to the police and the
hospital people that sounded like May
De We're and under that she is slated.
She said she lived in Hoboken and gave the
address 524 Washington street. The Ho-
boken police Investigated and found the
address was not correct. No one Of that
name lived there and nobody was missing
there The police Of this city and Ho-
bokan are irving to find out who she is.
Supt Knoll Of the Hudson street hospital
had this to say about the case
The girl was undoubtedly suffering
from alcoholism when she was brought
here. We found from her that she had
been drinking for a week. DR.. CheTy's
diagnosis was correct in the first instance
and he Is not deserving Of criticism. How
ever, she has cerebrO spinal meningitis
now She may have contracted il while
she Was on a spree. A curious feature Of
the case u that she is rather refined APP
pearing girl. She doesn't look like a work.
ing GIL at all, although she may be shop
girl. The chances are that she will not
recover. but we shall try 20 find out her
identity before she dies ="
According to the figures given out by the
Health Department yesterday the death
rate for last week was So per 900, as
against %. 50 per 600 for the CORES ponding
week last year, a decrease OF i.26 points.
Had Il not been for cerebro-spinal menin-
the low record for this time Of year.
. The deaths from cerebro-spinal menin-
gifts last week were 1871. as against 81
for the corresponding week a year ago.
Eight weeks ago there we're % deaths
from the disease and the weekly death
record since then has been: 40, As, g. 7S
70, S. i3l. When there was a recession Of
six points, from 70 to u, the Health Depart
ment hoped that the high mark had been
passed. Now they refuse to make any
further predictions. The meningitis COM
miss ion is busily engaged In studying the
disease and hopes soon to have a sufficient
understanding Of its nature to enable II TO
decrease tn Q death rate.