Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-22
Clarence Bigby, Rigid in the
ThrOeS of Dread MaIady, at
Rescue Mission.
ClTY'S NEGLECT BIDS
WELCOME TO EPIDEMIC
Parents, Too Poor to Pay Pri-
vate Sanitarium Fees, Fight
Death Against Odds.

! Rigid in the deiirium II cerehro- spi-
nal meningitis, fourteen year-old Clar-
! ence Bigby lies to-day in a bare and
! cherries room in the Union Rescue
mission, 234 Marietta street, denied adj
mission to any Of the citys hospitals
and barred from the private institu
lions by the poverty of his parents.
Why is this unfortunate lad in the
clutch of one of the most feared and
fearsome diseases known to medicine
forced to remain on a hard mission bed
without the care Of a nurse and without
hospital treatment?
Why is the city 80 incautious OF its
! own health that it permits. almost In its
very center, the nucleus for an epidemic
/ that is devastating I'm it's nature once it
gets start?
! These are questions that we're asked
to-day by physicians and others whose
attention was called to the pitiabe case.
DR.. Benson Scores City.
! The city cares for its smallpox pa
TENTS and its diphtheria patients-why
not for those who are afflicted with this
! disease. which Is admittedly infectious
and whose mortality is 80 to 60 per
| cent, enormously I'm excess of smallpox
and other contagious diseases against
which we guard so carefully" inquired
| DR. c. F. Benson, of the Fourth Ma
| tional bank building one of the physi-
| clans called to attend the case.
1T is most evident that some place
| should be provided by the city for cases
/ of this sort" he continued. THE boy
! lying where he can not be isolated
| forms a most serious menace to the
! health of the city Ignoring the hui
manitarion aspect, 1t would seem that
| the city for its own protection would
| take steps to isolate the disease under
/ proper medical care.
!, 1T is not unlikely that many persons
| have been exposed to the disease al
| ready This form Of meningitis is
notably epidemic. cities and districts
over which the mysterious blight of
this disease has spread have suffered
terribly
| Wants Hospitals Opened.
- can not understand why the case
should not receive treatment at the
Hospital for Contagious Diseases or the
! Grady hospital One room or a ward
might be set apart without rendering
liable to the contagion any of the re-
mainder of the institution"
The Bigby family. consisting OF the
! father and mother and four Of the FIVE
children, came to Atlanta two weeks
! ago from Macon Bigoy is a mechanic
but he has been III and unable to find
! steady employment in this city and the
meager family funds have dwindIed al
most to nothing. With their children
| the parents we're compelled to seek
! cheap lodging at the mission.
Clarence was taken suddenly sick six
days ago. Two days later he lapsed into
a delirium from which he has not
emerged since. Several physicians were
| called. but as soon as they noted the
/ boys condition their advice wa
| Take him 10 a hospital: We can do
nothing for him here"
Lads Body Becomes Rigid.
No hospital could be found that
would receive the stricken lad. Mean
while Clarence steadily grew worse ana
/ to-day the physicians were able 20 picI,
( him from the bed as though ne were a
/ wooden statue so intense VAS the rig
/ idity of the muscles which drew mis-
! head back in the grewsome position
characteristic Of meningitis victims
/ The boys days and nights are hlel
with pain and delirium. When his
muscles are not tortured with the
| cramps that the disease in1icts he is
! ceaseIessly tossing about and thrashing
his arms. How long before the deli
rum viii give way to the stupor aud
then the complete coma that ordinarily
follows is conjectural
Serum Aids Little.
AntitoxIn furnished by the state de-
partment of health was administered.
but the disease had taken such a firm
hold that the effect Of the serum can
be hardly more than TO mitigate is
ravages.
why couldn't they have taken him
i'm somewhere" cried Mrs 3 sby. The
I deep lines Of worry In her haggard IA 70
and the ewes red with weeping told or
the strain and the grief which have
) burdened her in the week Of sorrow.