The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-22
HEALTH OFFICERS AIDE DEAD
SERUM COULD NOT SAVE HIM
FROM MALIGNANT MENINGITIS.
Three injections were Given. but without
Much Hone At Any Time-Dr. Ashley
Made the Autopsy In the Only Case in
Quarantine the Serum did Not Help.

sVuVt ~ WY 4NSssbNy
Made the Autopsy In the Only Case In
Quarantine the Serum did Not Help.
DR.. Edward r Ashley, one of Health
Officer Doty's chief meteorological ex-
perts who became i'll Of spinal menin-
gifts on Sunday after an autopsy per-
formed on Greek immigrant who died
Of the disease. died at $3.50 clock yester-
day afternoon in the hospital AT Swim
burne Island. with his father and mother
by his bedside and most Of the staff Of
DIR. Doty present. He had been delirious
since Sunday night DR.. Flexner. who
discovered the serum that has been ef,ec-
tive in the cure of many cases of spinal
meningitis. saw DR.. Ashley several hours
before his death and recommended the
final injection Of serum at 1 O'Clock in
the afternoon The treatment was a
forlorn hope. II made no appreciable
difference in the condition Of the patient.
hut the result might have been different
ir there had not been complication
of pulmonary troubles. due primarily
10 bronchitis
DIR. Ashley had been living on Hon
man Island in apartments adjoining
those Of the superintendent. DR. T.. $.
Hudson He complained of illness al
noon on Sunday. the day after he had
made the autopsy on the Greek and
4 l.; ;..l ,l,.
chitis. from which he had been suffer
ing In the evening he became pretty
sick and before midnigh, he had become
del!rious He did not suspect the nature
OF his alment DR.. Hudson notified
DR. Doty early on Monday morning and
Or Doty went to Hoffman Island with
a member Of his staf and made a careful
examination OF DR.. Ashley
1T was even then very evident. Dr.
Doty said last evening. that DR.. Ashley
had cerebro spinal meningitis and tha
il was going to be malignant. "a his kid
neys had practically gonc to pieces. their
function having almost stopped
Dr. Ashley WAS removed a. once 10
Swinburne Island. where the serum is
kept and where there are better facilities
for handling the disease. His father and
mother were notified and they arrived
IN the evening from their home in Water
bury This was done because DR. Doty. in
view of the cond.ti OF DR.. Ashley before
ne became infected. Alt pretty certain
Of the result,
At noon on Monday. or within twenty
four hours of the time DR. Ashley began
to feel the effects of the poison the frat
injection OF the serum was administered.
DR.. Doty talked over the phone with
DR. fleSner about the case and another
Injector was given az O'Clock yesterday
morning when the las was given
yesterG9y afternoon in the presence Of Dr
Fexncr and DR. Park Of the Health De
partment Dr. Flexner sad the condition
of the patient was 50 bad thai favorable
results could hardly be- expected The
bronchitis had increased 50 thar the
patients respiration was badly involved
and his death was a matter Of only II
few hours
Two factors, Di Doty said, contributed
to nulhfy the effect of tho scum, so
wonderfully beneficial in the cascs of
eight patients taken from the steamship pr
and they were the exceedingly mali gnant
form of the diseas.' end the puimona v
trorble Of the patient.
DR.. Fiexner expressed regret that th"
serum had been unable to ,ave DR.. Ashley
but said he was delighted with its efficacy
as shown in the cases of eight ou, Of nine
pe -on afflicted with he disease who were
taken from the steamships PATHS and
I Martha Washington 10 SwinbuTne Island
/ Before the doctors began using the serum,
about two years ago. DR.. Doiy said,
deaths from the disease were twenty five
/ PEE cent more than th',y are now.
! DR.. Ashley had made the autopsy in
the ease OF the only person who had died
| al Swinburne island This was malig
nant care with very short period OF
incubation II appears to Dr. Doty and
his staff that Dr.. Ashley was infected in
one of two ways. either by getting the
germs of the disease into the thr Oat
or nasal passages at the autopsy or by
handling the specimens Of other cases
He had nothing 10 do with the medical
work of the department and so could
not have been infected by contact with
patients. None Of the nurses or doctors
who attended the patient who had died
and the eight other patients who are alive
has shown any symptoms of sickness.
| DR. Ashley was a favorite with his CO
workers, and the nurses. and they asked
his father and mother to permit them tc
have funeral services al Staten lslano
before the final services at Waterbury
The parents consented and DR.. Dodc
will officiate at ST Johns Church at Rose
bank this afternoon, DIR. Doty and hi
staf, the nurses and most OF the em
ployees of Quarantine will be present
The body will he accompanied to Water
bury by DR.. +. s. Hudson and another
physician Of the Health Officer's staff,
Dr. Ashley was IS years of age. He wa,
a graduate of Yale, received his degree
from the College Of Physicians and Sur
geons of this city and practised severa
years in the City Hospital. He though
that there was greater future in bac
teriology than in any other branch of hi
profession, and he never entered intt
general practice