New-York tribune., 1916-07-12
mitchell SPURS
FIGHT ON PLAGUE
Continued from page i

knowledge that there is Of the disease
points 10 the fact that It is communl-
Gated by personal contact and that the
avoidance Of its spread depends on per-
sonal cleanliness in each case.
"Dr. Emerson tells me that all OF the
hospital accommodation OF the city are
in cooperation. are being freely offered
10 the department and that he now has
available in the hospitals no fewer
than 400 beds for such cases as may
develop. and that as soon as those IA
ci.ities are exhausted and as soon as
we reach the capacity of the hospitals
we have Ellis Island. and when that
point is reached we have the offer OF
the Red Cross An understanding has
been reached with the Red Cross that
il will furnish one hundred additional
nurses for Ellis Island. so that we have
material reserve resources Tor deailng
with the situation
In the meantime the force of sani-
tary inspectors on the streets and IN
the houses is sufficient, IN the Judg-
ment of the Commissioner. TO do every
thing that is TO be done, and promptly
Fight Well Waged.
"The long and the short of it is that
we have facilities sufficient to handle
all the cases as they are reported up
10 date TO the Department Of Health;
that is, hospitals, doctors, nurses and
ambulances. We have all the resources
Of the city government massed here
and ready for any service that may be
required Of them. We are fighting a
disease concerning which, comparative
ly speaking. little is known, and it has
go. TO be fought in the light OF what
ever knowledge is available. That is
being done along the lines so lar de-
veloped by science. The fight is beng
conducted as effectively as 1t can be,
and there is no shortage of resources
There is no lack Of anything that could
he supplied, and if any laek. develops
il will be supplied Immediately.
II think as a matter Of public good
this situation ought not to be allowed
10 eravitate into panic. II is a bac
thing to create a panicky feeling abou
this because il has not reached stage
where any such feeling need be IN
dulged in. Furthermore, II you star
panic in the congested districts Il
will reflect itself in the disease. DR.
Emerson tells me that down there nov
they have cooped up in houses man!
children who ought to be out in the
open air. Infantile paralysis is not th'
only thing children die of in summer
and Dr.. Emerson expects, as result o.
the shutting up Of the children in tn,
houses, an increase in the ordinar!
summer diseases"
l72 in Dirt Cases.
Activities of members of the HON,
Defence League, the Street Cleaning
Department and the other agencies co
operating with the Health Department
in the cleanup work resulted yester
day in 472 persons being arraigned be
fore police magistrates in Manhattan
yesterday, and fined for violating tht
sanitary code in permitting uncovered
garbage and dirt TO remain in halls ant
areaways.
In addition 10 this work Commission
er Emerson and his force swept Wig
orously into the task of preventing
all large public gatherings, where chill
dren are likely 10 congregate. In line
with this movement il was announced
az the Department of Health that tn,
feast Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel
one of the great Italian religious fes
tivals Of the year. has been called Of
through the cid and cooperation of tn,
Catholic Church. The festival was tC
have taken place on July Ia, 10 and l6.
In the opinion Of the Health Depart
ment officials the gathering of Italiar
families IN the streets and churche:
would have formed prolific breeding
grounds for paralysis. In other Dor
oughs. notably in Queens. many picnic'
and outings have been called off il
order TO safeguard the children.
Emerson Is Hopeful.
In a statement late yesterday after
noon Commissioner Emerson was in
clined to minimize the seriousness o.
the paralysis epidemic and the signif
cance Of the fact that more new cases
and deaths we're reported ycsterda!
than on any previous day since th'
scourge obtained a foothold. He de
clared that one Of the reasons for thi
large number Of new cases was tha
they had been found by members o.
the Home Defence League. and by in
spectors Of the department In making
their rounds. whereas they probably
would not have been discovered ex
cept for the work of these agencies.
81 want 20 impress upon the people
OF New York said the commissioner
that there is no occasion for panic
Compared with an epidemic Of measles
such as we had last year, this cpl
demic Of paralysis is not at all serl-