The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-01-14
DISCUSSES MENINGITIS
SITUATION HERE
MAYOR AND BOARD CT COM
MISSlONERS DISCUSS THE SIT.
UATION WITH PHYSICIANS.

reached al conference yesterday
morning between the county health
officer, Or Walter Hardy, and the
city health officer, DR.. j II. Hargraves
and the mayor and board of CITY
commissioners.
The mayor called the meeting to
discuss the situation with the ply
scians, the commissioners want to
use any precautionary methods that
are advisable, they want to leave
none of the duties to the public
undone and for that reason the
physicians were called into consulta-
tiOn. Mayor Dawson stated that
Texas has many cases of meningitis,
that Carter county has some isolat.
ed eases, that there are none here
now and the board would like to
be advised concerning quarantine,
concerning a cleanup campaign or
along any other lines that mean pro
lection to the people DIR. Hargraves
was the first speaker. He said in
part: The cost or Quarantinine
Ardmore would he very heavy, but
| would not let the cost stand in
the way one moment if consid-
cred it advisable. There are no
cases of meningiti. here now there
has been one case, but the at
tending physicians disagreed in the
diagnosis. take the position that
the child has inrantilc paralysis. it
is still living and will probably re-
cover. Should any cases develop the
patients will be quarantined, the ply.
sicians will use every method for
the protection of the people, the
state health department has offered
FleXner serum free to those who are
not able to pay for it and the city
is fortunate i'm having this serum on
hand for use. In case there is epi
u'lIlt NOulu duN lSt IIldJ Nus tdl
be secured and the poor treated
there, while those who are able to
care for their own cases would rath
or have them remain in their homes.
Meningitis is not so contagious as
people have been led to believe and
there is no reason for any excitement
The causes of meningitis is from eX
pOsurc, keep your children warm,
feed them we'll and the child that
is properly cared for Is not likely
at all to become affected" Here the
mayor interrupted Will a question
concerning sanitation, suggesting that
DIR Booth and DR.. Henry and 9th
crs had gone TO Dallas, and the idea
had become prevalent here that san.
itary methods were being used as a
preventive in Dallas. To this DR.
IIargraye answered that Dallas peo-
people were washing their sidewalks
and streets with an antiseptic. but
that DR. Sophian told them it would
do no good except that cleanliness
would help city bu; Il would not
help to prevent the spread of menin-
gifts. DR.. Hargraye concluded by
saying that the conditions that pre-.
vail here as good As they can be.
that there is nothing for the board TO
do at this time except to advise tina
people should not congregate, that
they should not expose themselves
to the cold and that the schol rooms
be kept warm.
DR.. Hardy addressed the informal
and said that he could add
but very little to what had been said.
He approves the advice given by DR.
Sophan which has been given wide
publicity in the press. he said menin-
sitiS was not So dangerous as the
people generally believed, thai while
the treatment OF the disease was i'm
its infancy. vet the mortality has
been reduced to twenty per cent, he
advised the use of the garGle, warm
clothing. good fires. nutritious food
and advised against thinking and
talking of the epidemic He made
the statement that there are no
cases here but that they can be pro-
duCed by continuous thinking aud
fear OF the malady. He mentioned
the low gas pressure and said the
people should keep their homes
warm and the school rooms should
lie kept warm.
DR.. Hardy is using the FleXner Sc
rum as preventive and says that
each treatment costs $3.50 and that
IA treatment will last tor six weeks.
which will take patient into the
spring months. when the danger
will be largely removed by better
climatic conditions.