Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-18
WATTSSAYS BABY
GOT D|PHTHER|A
IN CITY HOSPITAL
Diagnosis in Fatal Case Was
Pneunonia-Many Persons
Exposed to Disease.

George Watts. three months old,
died in the City Hospital Tuesday, ap-
parently OF bronchial pneumonia, but
yesterday it was learned the child had
been suffering from diphtheria. The
child was taken to the hospital on the
night of Wednesday. February 10.
During his stay at the institution he
was in ward B, the receiving ward for
babies, with twenty OF more other
children, and in ward 9, where as
many more children were.
II is the belief OF the child's par
ents, James and Mrs. Watts. OF 266
Bank street, that the baby contracted
diphtheria in the City Hospital Mrs.
Watts told an Evening Star reporter
today that she went TO the hospital
last Friday and found the child IN
ward 8. While near the cot she no
ticed that a negro baby four cots
away had tossed something on the
floor and went over to pick up what
ever the baby had tossed away, when
a nurse said, Don't go near that lit
tie one; 1t has dlphtheria and will be
taken to Soho right away"
DR.. Ambrose Dowd, house physician
at the City Hospital. said today that
three cultures taken from the Watts
baby had shown negative results, but
that a fourth, taken Tuesday, showed
positive results. Between the taking
of the fourth culture and its deter
mlnation the child died.
The parents tell story filled with
- % .1fVs
cumstances. They have two other
children-one five and the other two
years old. On Wednesday evening.
February 10, the baby seemed to be
suffering from a bad cold, and, wish
ing to keep the other two children
from contracting the cold, the father
telephoned to the City Hospital and
asked that an ambulance be sent.
Mr.. Watts says that the telephone
operator asked what the baby was
suffering from. and on being told
that 1t seemed to have bad cold, re-
Piled: why don't you get a doc
tori" The father called up. in turn.
DR.. NJ. J. Coffey, ZIG Bank street;
DR.. George B. viii. 10 Richmond
street, and DR.. Max Feldman, of n
Thirteenth avenue, TO find they were
not at home, and Dr. Frederick Hex
amer. Of lis WickHffe street, who was
unable to respond because he was
himself ill.,
Mr.. Watts says that he again called
the City Hospital and said that he
could not get a doctor near his home
and asked that the ambulance be
sent. The operator said, Cant you
bring the child up here?" and Mr..
Watts did so. He says two internes
looked the little one over and asked
whether there was any diphtheria in
the neighborhood where he lived and
Watts said he knew of none. One of
the internes said the child apparently
was not very sick, and the other said
there were evidences OF bronchial
pneumonia.
The death certificate, signed by DR..
Mathew F. Urbansky, gives 'abron-
chial pneumonia" as the cause of
death.
When the child died the body was
taken to the home of its parents and
after being embalmed was laid in
the usual open wooden casket. Twen-
ty-four hours later it was learned
that the child had diphtheria and the
house was placarded by the Board Of
Health. but meantime many children
In the neighborhood had been permit
ted to look at the dead child and peo-
pie in that neighborhood are greatly
disturbed in mind.