Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-22
CASES OF DIPHTHERIA
Patients in Watercure Building
and on Canal Street

Putney Woman Died After Visiting In
Home of Her Daughter In 5rattleboro
School Children Are Being Watched
Diphtheria has held the attention of
the school department and the board
OF health this week following the dis
covery of one pronounced case OF the
disease in the fourth grade and milder
case in the free kindergarten. Every
precauton has been taken to prevent
any further spread of the disease, and
1t is not probable that there is any dan
ger now. Diphtheria antnitoxin was ad-
mnlstered in all the cases OF known
exposure and In some other cases where
contagion was possible. The situation
was called to the attention Of the health
department Sunday afternoon by tele-
phone message from DR., George S. Fos-
ter of Putney, stating that Mrs. Mary l..
Wood died OF diphtheria in that town
Sunday morning and that she came
to Putney from Brattleboro while coming
down with the disease. Mrs Wood was
| the mother of Mrs. Clark Hulett and
had lived in the Hulett home in the
lawrence watercure building on Elliot
| street. The telephone message was sent
| to DR.. II. ID. Holton, secretary of the
| state board of health, and in the absence
| of Health officer Henry Tucker DR.. Hol-
| ton turned the case over to John Calvin,
| health by virtue of his office as first
| seleC tman.
| Mr. Calvin called in DR.. O'Connor and
| they went to the Huett home together
| Mrs. Huett said that there had been
no illness in the home and she was
| greatly surprised to hear of her mothers
death in Putney. Mrs Wood went to
Putney Thursday afternoon and was
then in her usual health so far as Mrs.
| Hulett knew. Soon after her arrival in
| Putney she had a severe headache, to
which she was subject. physician
who was sent for did not have any
suspicion of diphtheria at that time.
| She appeared to be much worse Satur-
| day, and a more careful examination
showed that she had diphtheria of the
most malignant type, which terminated
fatally the next morning. An investga-
ton at the Hulett home revealed the
fact that all five Of the children who lived
there had been having sore throats. DIT
O'Connor took cultures from the threats
of every person in the family and sent
them to the state laboratory of hygiene
in Burlington. The report came bach
that the culture from the throat OF
Gilbert Hulett, :, who goes to the kinder.
garten, showed diphtherla bacteria, bu
the other cultures were negative. Tn,
boy had not attended the kindergarten
for some days and there appeared to b,
little danger from him.
The disease also appeared in another
quarter Saturday Albert Ovitt, son o
Mrs. Grace Butler of Canal street, wa.
i'll that day and his physician was sus
picious of diphtheria. A culture sen
to the laboratory showed that he hat
a pronounced case No one has beer
able to connect the two cases in any
way. The boy attends the fourth grad,
in the high school building, and he was
there until Friday noon. He did moi
| Of
feared at first that he had given the
disease to other pupils, and a number
were given diphtheria antitoXin as a
precautionary measure AS no cases ap.
peared within five days from the posi-
Bile exposure the alarm gradually sub
sided. Diphtheria always develops with
IN four or five days from the time il is
contracted Harry Fredette of Elliot
street became i'll Monday and his ply
stefan was suspicious of diphtheria. A
culture was taken and the house was
put under strict quarantine.
-Four children from the Hulett home
attend school. All were confined at
home after the disease appeared and no
one was allowed to see them. Gilbert
Hulett appeared to be nearly over his
attack when he was examined, and as
he had been playing freely with the
children of the neighborhood much alarm
was felt until the danger period was past
pupil in district No. II school was
at the Hulett home late last week and
Mrs Wood had been at the pupils home
IN West BrattleboTo. On account of the
possibility of contagion in case that pupil
should develop the disease it was thought
best to close the school a week. The
school will open Monday. All the pupils
in the schools have been watched closely
ana several who have appeared to be
affected with sore threats or colds have
been sent home
DR.. II. d. Holton has received word
from Montpelier that there is a serious
outbreak of diphtheria in Montpelier
seminary. Eleven cases were reported
to him Tuesday, all coming from wo-
man VINO worked in the kitchen while
having a light attack of the disease
The seminary is under strict quarantine.