New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-25
BATTLE WITH MENINGITIS
Commission Hard at
Work to Bring Relief.

The second meeting of the commission OF
medical experts appointed recently by Dr.
Thomas Darlington, Health Commissioner, TO
study and combat cerebro-spinal meningitis.
was held yesterday, at the Board Of Health.
With the exception OF DIR. Polk, all Of its
members were present. OF the two depart
nents. the clinical and meteorological, but
reported yesterday-the clinical. DR.. Darling
ton said that some of the physicians will work
with DR.. Simon F1enner. at the Rockefeller In
stitute Laboratory; others with DR.. E. K Dun
ham, at the Carnegie Institute, and others with
Dr. Joshua NJ. Van Colt, at the Long Island
College Laboratory. The clinical division Of the
commission 1t was stated will classify and
systematic all past reports OF cases for the
year 1904. DR.. William NJ. Polk. dean Of the
Cornell Medical College. has accepted an ap-
pointment on the commission. It was also an
nounced that the consulting physician Of the
commission will be DR.. f. Mitchell Prudden.
DR.. Darlington said that he had received many
communications from experts and students re-
gardng varying cures. the most interesting Of
which the Health Commissioner designated as
that of DR.. weitsfelder. OF Gouverneur Hospi-
tai He has perfected diphtheritic serum.
which is used for an injection In the leg or arm
Of a patient suffering from meningitis.
1.-THE most probable explanation of the arnaz-
ing spread of meningitis in this FORM said DR..
Darlington, "is the sociological reason. In the
crowded districts we find the disease much more
common than in the more sparsely settled dis
tricts Of the greater city, and the greatest
amount of work has been in the crowded East
Side tenement house district. The weather.
far as experts determine. does not enter
largely into the epidemic as a cause nor do
the conditions of the streets. as have said be-
fore, affect or tend to aggravate this strange
ailment."
The disease is the most battling the Health
with. it is said. in the matter Of the lack Of
knowledge of its symptoms. prevention. cure
and general spread.
Yesterday there were three more deaths
from the dread disease George Savile, Of
the transportation firm Of S. L. Saville & Co.,
of No. 143 Liberty-st., Manhattan. died of cere-
bro-spinal meningitis at his home, No. $40 Park
Place. Brooklyn. Thursday. and Charles Pol
lack. who died in the Lebanon Hospital on
Thursday was victim of the same disease.
1.-THE New-Yor Medical Journal of to-day
will say that there is singular resemblance be-
tween the symptoms of cerebro-spinal meningitis
and typhuS fever, which frequently leads to con-
fusion before an exact clinical diagnosis can be
had, and indicates the points of similarity IT
also calls attention to the efficacy of simple
measures as prevent1veS and refers to the ne
glect of the mouth and the nose. which permits
many pathogenic micrO-organisms to reach more
vital parts.
the last year has worked at the Hotel Manhat-
tan. was taken III early yesterday. DR.. FelIowes
Davis. jr., the house surgeon. diagnosed the case
as one of spinal meningitis He called several
times during the day and preparations were
made for the removal Of the patient to Belle
vue Hospital. When DR.. Cramp arrived with
dead. DR.. Davis said he believed the case to be
one Of genuine meningitis.