The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-04
Children Trsatsd With OIphlherIa
Serum Die Of Lockjaw.
The CORONER BEGINS INQUIRY.
City BactsrIeIoglst Tsstlss That Hs Tssk
Every Possible Prscautlon Ia Preparing
the AntI-Turln.

ST. Louis. Mo, Nov. 4.-coroner Funk
hauser is trying to ascertain who Is re-
sponsible for the deaths OF children with
In the last week from incubation with an
ti-toxin serum furnished by the ST. Louis
board of health for the treatment OF diph-
iberia.
Ten children have died within the last
six days after having been inoculated with
the serum. Eight of them died OF te-
tanus, or lockjaw. resulting from the ef-
feet OF INC yrfTfnl.
pr Nietcrt city hospital supcrinteno-
ent, said that Flora Fuerst, eight years
old; who Is Al the city hospital could not
recover She is suffering, from tetanus.
and so are two other children, who are
critically i'll. The latter are Mary Kem-
merman five years old, and Blima Gold
dren we're trcatcd with the serum
Coroner Funkhauser said II shall try
20 lind out what infection there may have
children who have died. how the infection
occurred and To whose fault this was due.
am trying 10 md out for certain wheth-
er II was the serum taken from horse
on Aug. "A.
THE CoRoNER'S INQUIRY.
The coroner summoned twenty-five ply
sicisns to appear at his office for an i'm
vestigation Dr Max {. Starklof. the
health commissioner. testified that
horse called Jim was last bled for an
What tests are made Of the city anti
toxin before IL Is distributed among ply
scansf" was asked.
II know of this only from DR. Ravold's
uhe city bacteriologisD statement lie
tells me that he has always inoculated
guinea pigs. with the mud before 1t is
distributed.
'Do other cities make their own anti
toxin?"
New York city docs SO, and sells it's
product in the outside market
ing from the use of diphtheric anti
toxin?'
II have heard of such a case I'm Bos-
ton. and Of several I'm Milan, Italy.
have every reason 10 believe that DIR.
RavoI& attended carefully TO the produc-
tion Sf'anti-toxin, NOT merely superintend-
ing the work but doing II himself | have
seen him bleeding the horse myself
when was the production of anti-toxin
Tit was begun in 1925 from desire TO
reduce the death rate from diphtheria
and Group"
DEATH RATE DECREASED.
Or. starkhoff produced statistics show
ina that since the city began making its
own snt-toxin. 23i1 cases had been treat
cd. causing considerable decrease IN the
Or. Amand Ravold. the city bacteri-
ologist. in his testimony described I'm de-
tail the process of preparing anu-toxin
and said that precautions were taken 10
prevent the entrance OF germs; lie Ire
duently resorted To Sterilization. Inc
hair OF the horse or the hand Of the bac-
terologist was not allowed 10 come into
contact with the serum.
Dr. RaVold said that ono Of the cm-
poyes of the poorhouse stable had aided
IN minor details OF the work. but that he
believed that no Infection could have re-
suited from the man : part in the work.
Horses may be infected with tetanus
by biting each other or the ground
added DR. Ravod Every pracauton has
been taken In the care OF the horses, who
are tttfore+-to exercise only enough 10
keen I'm normal health"
DR. RaVold declared that the snti-toxin
prepared on Aug e had been tested~ on
four guinea pigs before distributed. with
no bad results.
"A horse was bled on Sept. 80 and anti
toxin was prepared" said Or Ravoid
when we learned of the death of that
horse from tctanus all the fluid was de
stFoNpd. | am sure that none OF Nhs
was distributed. | do not know how the
labels of bottles came To bear that date.
Or Ravold added that he had been out
of the city from Oct. To Oct 10. lie
told of the discovery that the anti-toXin,
which had been distributed. was impure
and OF the recall of the supply.
The City Treasurership has been salts
factorily held by Walter l.. Clarke, SO
why "A change Vote for MIN.