New-York tribune., 1904-10-01
DYSENTERY CONTAGIOUS.
SERUM DOES NOT HELP.
Second annual Report of Rocke
feIJer Research Institute.


men in all parts of the country have been eager
to study, has just been published, 1t deals
largely with the meteorological investigation of
children affected with different forms OF diar-
| rhoea The history of the discovery of the dys-
| entery bacillus is given. and there full
PORTS OF experiments with anti-dysenteric serum.
| The report declares that dysentery is con-
tag1ous and that the use of anti-dysenteric
| serum has not proved a success. Nearly half
of the children treated with the serum died, and
in only few cases did noteworthy improve
Tent follow its administration. The investi-
gators. however, have not yet given up hope of
rhlng the serum to advantage and the expert
ments will be continued
The Rockefeller Institute was founded bv John
D. Rockefeller in June, 1901. with an initial
slft or 9ZUOOOO all OF which was to be expended
In research 1t was said at the time that his
interest In the undertaking was aroused by the
death OF his grandson, little John Mccormick
Who suffered from disease particularly prev
alent among children. So far the experts con-
nected with the institute have devoted them
| selves largely to children's diseases
The scope and facilities of the institute will
soon be increased by the erection Of a laboratory
at sixty-seventh-st. and he North River at
cost of 100000. The plans for this structure
were filed month ago.
Twelve bacteriologists had charge of the in
vestigations of dysentery in children, and the
work was divided among laboratories in New
York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. There
was brief preliminary course of instruction at
the pathological laboratory of the University of
Pennsylvania 1t was attended by the physi-
clans who took part in the investigation and by
several advanced medical students who worked
Independently in Washington. Albany and
Philadelphia.
MANY HOSPITALS CO-OPERATED.
Many hospitals and dispensaries co-operated
and furnished material for studies. New-York
hospitals which helped in the work were the
Vanderbilt Clinic, Roosevelt, Bellevue. Nursery
and Children's. Babies Founding women's
Infirmary and the Sloan Maternity. The Board
of Health also aided. The summer was not a
favorable one for the work. as the cool weather
made the disease less frequent and not so severe
usual
OF 372 cases studied 73 proved fatal. but
DR.. Simon Flexner, of the University OF
Pennsylvania. who wrote this portion of the
report, declares that this gives little idea Of the
gravitV of the infection. since it is we'll known
that the result in all forms of intestinal disease
in infants depends op the age and previous con-
dition of the patients. The anti-dysenteric
serum used was made from horses by the in
lection first Of dead cultures and later of living
cultures OF dysentery bacillus.
DR.. L. Emmett Holt sums up the result Of
the summers work in part as follows:
The fact that the dysentery infection is con-
tagious seems TO be an established fact, but how
stances small ward epidemics were noted From
present experience. high degree of contagion
most likely through the discharges. This calls
closest attention TO prevent contamination OF food
or water by persons handling the child.
In all. there were eighty-three cases IN which
emplOyed. thlrtY-
eight OF these fatal On the whole, the re-
tons usually urtiears followed as Sc;cs occasionally d
did a noteworthy Improvement follow its admins
A careful study OF the cases In which the serum
was used does not make the results quite bad as
at mrs: appears; Too much evidently. expect
seen after diphtheria antitoxin These We're OBJ
ever viii be Difcuities were found in the use ot
the serum. The quantity in the strength in which
patients would not allow it's use except In severe
cases. and often would not return for a second
Several faGtors to- :. worked @ against g
disease Again II was. as rule. used only in the
most severe cases. and. finally at the beginning OF
size frequency OF Doses hence ii is evident that
many OF the doses were too small. Four patients
The conditions Of success are. arst. that Il must
VsIosg oT bafor tbe stjent nave de
has been too profoundly impaired The latter refers
point is that experience shows that the serum
must be used In repeated doses. one or two doses
the attack is severe. cannot myself feel that
from study Of these reports and personal observa-
! the anti-dysenteric serum has yet been made A
ected cases is necessary before definite statements
can be made as to its value
PURE AND IMPURE MILK.
The report also contains ar account of the re-
suits of experiments in feeding pure and impure
milk to infants in tenement houses and institu-
tions. Six doctors were employed by The insti-
tute and their work extends over three 7umners
and a winter. In all 632 infants were observed.
Each worker had a group of never more than
fifty infants. An effort was made to keep the
same general conditions as existed before the ex-
periments, and the physicians made visits semi
weekly over period of a number OF months.
The milk used was OF four general classes-con-
densed milk. store milk of the cheapest grade
and purchased by tenement mothers in small
quantities, bottled milk and milk from central
distributing stations Leaving out the worst
store" milk in summer, the results were much
less affected by the character of the milk fed,
and distinctly less affected by the sort of care
the infant received.
The results differed greatly from summer and
winter. OF 211 cases studied in winter the
suits favorable IN SO per cent Of the cases
and unfavorable in per cent Out of 421 cases
studied in summer there good results in
only % per cent or the cases and bad results IN
81 per cent
AS a result of the Investigations DR.. William
II. Park and DR.. Holt strongly recommend the
establishment of central distributing stations
under city control at least from May 10 TO Sep
tember l5 They propose the systematic edu-
cation of mothers In the tenement house sec
tions not alone by printed directions for the
care of infants has been done In the past,
but by regular visits from trained nurses or
women physicians The close inspection OF
small milk dealers, the source OF supply for
most tenement house mothers is strongly urged
on the Board OF Health
The investigators declare that great reduc-
in inf a will aralV