New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-19
EXPERTS
GOING TO SERVIA
Remarkable Commission
to Fight Horrible Con-
ditiOnS There.

What Surgeon General William c.
Gorgas calls the most remarkable san
itary commission ever sent from any
country will leave the United States
April l for Servia. That country, over
run with typhus fever and threatened
with cholera. which may sweep Eu-
rope, and even this country, has ap-
pealed to the United States, and Is to
be aided with men and money. The
American Red Cross has contributed
$4,000 and the Rockefeller Founda-
ton an equivalent amount. Miss Ma
bel 7. Boardman, executive head of
the Red Cross Fund, says hundreds of
thousands Of dollars will be needed to
disinfect an entire nation, and possibly
q continent.
The Servian government has assured
the commission Of its fullest cooper
alton.
The commission is headed by DR..
Richard P. Strong, professor of trop-
ical diseases in Harvard Medical
School, and one of the foremost
plague experts in the United States.
He aided in the suppression OF the
Manchurian pneumonia plague in 1911
He sailed on the Canopic Tuesday,
with enough material for 10000 anti
cholera treatments.
Southern Servia IS a nest for chol-
era" said Miss Boardman yesterday,
"and these men VIM are going over
are taking their iIves IN their hands.
We couldn't find a more remarkable
personnel of men to go over. They
are picked men Of the finest and
bravest type"
Miss Boardman said it was difficult
for Americans to realize the horror OF
the situation in Servia. The American
Minister at Bucharest, Rumania, has
reported that 10000 persons in pop
ulation less than that OF New York
City have died from typhus. Cholera
is threatened, and unless checked, may
spread to all parts of Europe.
The chief sanitary inspector for the
commission is DR.. Thomas W. Jacson,
of Philadelphia. Columbia University
is sending DR.. Hans Zinsser, professor
of bacteriology. The Harvard Medical
School is sending DR.. Andrew W. Sell
lards az clinical laboratory assistant,
DR.. George c. Shattuck as clinical as
sistant and assistant sanitary inspec-
tor and DR.. Francis B. Grinnell.
Messrs. Della Pena and Standlfer, who
have lately been working in the Pana-
ma Canal Zone, have volunteered as
sanitary inspectors. All sanitary IN
spectors have gone to Washington TO
work under General Georges IN prepa-
ration for their work in Servia.
DR.. Nicolle, the French expert on
tvphus. will cooperate with the COM
mission. Charles s. Ely. of Washing |
ton. recently connected with the !
United States immigration service, is |
officer and secretary Of the
commission.
The Servian Agricultural Committee
has announced that It will appeal TO
all friends Of Servia to send funds TO
the American Red Cross TO aid this |
work.
London, March 1s.-An appalling
story Of conditions in Servia was re-
lated to-day by Ernest Bicknell and
Henry James, jr., of the War Relief .
Committee Of the Rockefeller Founda- I
ton, on their return to London after
a tour Of inspection through that coun- /
try. They said several diseases were /
endemic in Servia. Typhus, the most
deadly of these, already has caused the !
death OF sixty out of four hundred ma .
tive doctors OF the country, as well as /
more than sixty thousand OF the popu- |
lation. The foreign Red Cross units
have suffered great losses. Two Amer
ican and one British units have been /
compelled - suspend their regular |
work because Of typhus. Nine Amerl-
can nurses and two physicians have |
the disease.
The commissioners went first 10
Nish. then proceeded TO Belgrade and
left the country by way OF Uskub, thus |
visiting the three most populous towns. /
During their tour they learned that /
typhus, typhoid fever, cholera, small .
pox, diphtheria, scarlet fever and re-
current fever were all existing in more
or less epidemic form. The largest
number of cases was OF recurrent
fever, but this disease was seldom .
fatal. Typhus was particularly deadly.
Smallpox and diphtheris were dimin-
ishing.
Mr.. James sails for New York on
Saturday to make a report TO the
Foundation. Mr.. Bicknel!
will remain to make further invesi-
cations.