New-York tribune., 1905-04-10
SPOTTED FEVER.
Sum of Scientific KnOv0Iedge of the
Disease for a Centurg.


The unusual presence OF cerebro-uplual rnsnsn-
gifts In New-York has led to the formation o. a
special commission TO investigate the diseqs, saw
American Medicine" The history OF esrsbro-
spinal meningitis has Just rounded out a cent4-z
the first recognized outbreak having occurred a.
Geneva In February. 1893 It's American history
began year later. in March. 1906 IN NEedford
Mass. In earlier times the existence OF tho disease
was probably concealed in the typhus account Just
as IT'S endemic Importance has IN late years been
concealed In the mortality tables uuder vaQ,er
titles Its essential agent has been known sincs
lSS'' but its etOlOgy is almost as battling as ever
us epidemiology has from the first been very inter
eSt4hs Notable outbreaks have been brief closely
circumscri6ed. and separated By wide intervals
both OF time and location. The disease has
wholly disappeared from local mortality records
TOT years together, and from 1850 1854 Il IA said
not to have been mentioned in the uortaIitr re-
ords Of the world. Since 1865 II has been ena.nfo
In NeW-Hork City. having made mortality record
according to J. Lewis Smith. every year, and
every week for the last twenty years. The disease
| has been endemic in Philadelphia since 1Ss3 and
| for thirty years in a majority OF the inDortant
/ cities OF the country
AT present It IS dOmesticated in the United States
/ while little Is heard Of IL in European COUNTRIES
/ IN NeW-1Ork Its epidemic manifestations have oc-
Cured in 1866, 1872 1881 and 1904 The Boston sul-
osmics apparently do not correspond to this ehro-
/ nolOgy, being dated 1854. 1874 and 1881 Ths dis
/ crepancy in the 7Os is deceptive Cerebro-sDlnaI
IeningltlS did not appear In Massachusetts, regis
/ tration until 1873. when It killed 747 persons. In
1872 DR.. Derby recognized the presence of tho dis
ease and printed a note It IN the registration
| report or that year The vague nOsolOgts title
"cephaltis' claimed in 1872 excess OF III deaths
! over its record for 1871 and received excessive
| credits also in 1873. 1874 and 1875 Unusual num-
bers Of deaths charged in 1872. 1873 aud 1878
to the indefinite account OF Commissions" In 1877
pneumonia also rose with bound, and for sew
eral years maintained bad II nlusive emil
nence.s The epidemic usually referred to the year
1874 really occurred in 1s7S and probably began IN
| 1S71. The New-Yorx epidemic OF 1872 might per
hapS be traced back in the same way The pres
ent epidemic in New-York Is at least a year old
DR.. Berg's article in The Medical Record reports
the occurrence Of 53 deaths In the first five months
| OF 1904. the acme OF the years mortality having
| been reached in the second week OF May. when
| seventy-three deaths from the disease we're re-
corded.
LOWER ANIMALS HAVE 1T.
j. Lewis Smith says that the New-York Epidemic
of 1872 preceded in 1Su BY heavy Hortality
f1cm similar disease among horses. and he speaks
as if the UnaccOunted deaths OF horses lnnpreS-e1
the professional as we'll as the popular mind In
the rural epidemic Of 1911. in Vermont Gallup says
that foxes and poultry died in numbers rom tns
disease. Law. reporting some cases IN 4reiano IN
1865 says that the son OF one or his pauehts ha1
eleven rabbits and OF this number nine died with
convuIsive and paralytic symptoms WHITAKER
cites the histories OF epizooticS among aAI'slS
horses at GrenObIe IN 1SEL among livery hOlsss ~S
| Paris In 1874 and among domestic fOWl N <-sleEa
In 1873 all In association with epidemic cersDro-
| spinal meningitis IN man. Fagss quotes tS 's.-
| erinarian Ferguson's statement tnat several OUl-
breaks coming under his observation IN Ireland "a.
| cOncurrently with similar disease IN SWINE anu
| dogs The heaviest incidence one 4arnlsy' noteo
| by J. L. Smith. fell family whose OccupAuon
| was the manufacture OF "headcheeSe. Thero S9lS
some four hundred heads OF animals ~ 'Se nous
at the time OF the outbreak and the four cases oe-
Cured singy at intervals OF one week. three weeks
% % yoTabears smoke OF these colucident epizOotcs
as cerebrO-spinal meningitis, giving 1loHS SS-es. %
& ay.e rsther pIIt aside the earlier notion without
fairly disproynS IT. Inc Lne l6S@ @ eood % Is heid by many
liIo, SGo V9S held until quite recent times cOncer-
separated points of its appearance. ne
tTa11Slv irreear intervals between cases belonging
apparently & 10 tine [Re f S iPeFmediats trnssson and
against the Importance of direct contaglon tnS
de9tc diseases notably cholera and pagues have
nanfested similar peculiarittes careful study has
oTHatiTneS shown that cases occurring far apart
and belonging apparently 70 oL1eISnl f t5 SfnSy of
5 IN iTt Ice7ebro-sDinaI meningitis fuller informa
~ ton mi a9G So aTe @ concerned in house outbEeas mgny
suggest proba6 which are 5c eCl1C ~ fs is
TO be excluded by the speeiAl hAciusl'' '-''
ease on children
WHERE MOST PREVALENT.
A careful study Of the epidemic distribution Of
cerebro-spinal meningitis might also show tnAr IFS
incidence is relatively heavier on small villages ana
rural districts Some authors believe so. E1eiHsE
saws IL Is "a disease OF winter. children. and sell
! diers During the American Civil War the armies
on both sides suffered repeatedly and severely 1ro1
cerebro-spinal meningitis. and the history OF Us
| appearance and spread IN France between lSSI ana
1872 and in Algiers In 1s4O. Is almost chronleis
| OF the movements OF troops. The suseepubiuty or
soldiers would seem indicate that the conditions
, of city life are not especially favorable TO tne
spread Of cerebro-spinal meningitis. II iG -. as
| seems likely more prevalent under rural cOndt-
| tIOns is added to the reasons already
urgent upon municipal authorities To demand exact
| accounting for current mortality and thoFough-
| going sanitary government in small communities
| and rural districts. Tine was when great cities
| constantly menaced the health Ol the surrounding
| country but nowadays Il Is the other way about
| The United States Census report shows foF ena
registration States rural mortality Bughtly less
than OF the cities The difference Is 50 small
that equal efficiency OF registration would give tna
lead 10 rural districts. The testimony OK the census
is however open to serious question. Tor the census
| reports place the apex OF the seasonal curve IN
/ June and July. which means that this part or sls
/ mortality account includes much beside cSroDFO-
spinal The stir about the disease Is 4Veiies
| IN New-YOrk. whose great pOpulation VIII ylel0
/ impressive figures. It seems pTooable thar the
| smaller populations. Hvt&g in neghbor1ng towns
and villages and in the rural districts are Su1cri
| a higher relative mortality. and that. 100, under
conditions in some respects more favorable Ior the
solution OF it's mysteries than the experiences oe
| greater New-YOrk VIII offer
HEMLOCK CURE FOR MENINGITIS.