The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-21
QUARANTNEDO DOCTOR INFECTED
DIR. r. r. ASHLEY VICTIM OF
SPINAL MENINGITIS.
1s Near Death ~ Swinburne Island ~ the
Result Of Niaking Cultures In Nlenin.
Eitis Cases That Came on the steam.
ships Pstras and Martha Warrington.

ships Pstras and Martha Warrington.
DIR. Edward +. Ashley. who has been
arduously assisting Health Officer Doty
in his recent meteorological work in cases
OF spinal meningitis that arrived in the
steerage Of the steamships Patras and
Martha Washington. was taken i'll with
the disease himself on Sunday night. A
meteorological examination by one Of the
coworkers showed yesterday morning
that he had spinal meningitis in it's most
maiig nant form.
As soon as the nature OF the malady
was known DR.. Doty gave the patient an
injection OF the Flexner serum that has
been administered with good results in
nearly all the cases taken from the liners.
DIR. Doty said that il was impossible to
tell whether or not DR.. Ashley would
respond to serum treatment. He doubt
less got the disease through his autopsy
work. possibly from the cultures he had
made. Whether the poison infected him
through a cut on the hand or by being
transmitted to the nasal passages or
throat il was not possible TO say def
nitely. but II ia possible to declare that
he received the poison at the autopsies.
two OF which he had performed himself
After DIR. Ashley. who is unmarried
and about 80 years old. had been removed
TO Swinburne Island. his father and
mother. who live in Waterbury. Conn.
whence he came about a. year ago to
assist the Health Officer. we're notified to
come Immediately to his bedside. This
indicates that DIR. Doty has little hope
for the young bacteriologist. He sent two
Of his eight medical officers down to
Swinburne Island with DR.. Ashley and
three trained nurses. 40 that the patient
will be under constant watch and care
until he either RECEIVERS or succumbs.
His father and mother arrived last eve =
ming from Waterbury and we're taken
Immediately to the island by the Health
Officer's tug. Another injection Of serum
was given at p. M. The condition Of
the patient had not improved then. He
was aware Of the nature Of his illness and
bore it with fortitude.
DR.. Doty said that DIR. Ashley was one
"
that he had been working very hard since
the invasion OF cholera here by steamships
from the Mediterranean in the summer
Often he was kept up until after mid
night SO that cultures might be COM
pleted and the detained steamships
allowed to get away in case the sickness
aboard was OF not a quarantinable type.
Possibly his hard work had run him down
so that he was susceptible to infection.
Another Of the baoteriologists. Dr.. Edwin
Baldwin. was sent away on Thursday for
q vacation because he showed symptoms
Of breaking down.
In malignant cases OF cersbro- spinal
meningitis DR.. Doty said last night,
-the intoxication Of the poison is 30 great
that il does not give the serum chance
to aot. Death in such cases usually occurs
within forty-eight hours. The infection
Of bacteriologist is rather unusual
The serum has worked wonderfully we'll
in the cases OF eight out OF the nine we had
at Swinburne Island. One died. All the
rest are on the way to recovery. Four OF
the patients were from the steamship
Patras and Ave from the Martha WASH
ington. So far as we have been able to
determine no one is infected by nursing
persons i'll Of meningitis. We are q bit
uncertain as TO the form OF transmission
the disease takes. but We know that it
does not act like smallpox or diphtheria
or typhoid
DR.. Ashley since he got his degree
has made speciality Of bacteriology.