New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-16
U. S. Experts to Test
Children at Rail-
road Stations.
ROCKEFELLER AIDS
FOR RESEARCH
Gives $50,000-A General
Falling Off in New Cases
as 81 More Die.

Two important steps were taken yes
terday to combat the increasing inter-
state spread of infantile paralysis.
Mayor Mitchell accepted $4,000 from
the Rockefeller Foundation to defray
the cost of keeping watch of those per-
sons who have been in contact with
victims of the disease, and it was de-
cided that surgeons of the United
States Public Health Service should be
stationed at every railroad terminal in
New York, beginning tomorrow morn
ing, to examine children leaving the
city.
Almost $50 cases of infantile paraly-
sis have been reported from New Jei-
sey, and more than 100 from New Y,rk,
outside the CITY. since the beginning OF
the epidemic. This, the health aithori-
ties say. shows that the dDease is
spreading despite the stringent quar-
antine declared against Ne' York chill
dren by many communities.
Increase in Msnhattan.
Within the city tb, epidemic slack
eneG yesterday, IA new cases and
twenty-seven deatjs being reported. as
against l62 cases and thirty-one deaths
the day befoA Eighty-seven cases
were found m Brooklyn, a drop Of
thirty-five, sut in Manhattan the dis
ease strengthened its hold. Thirty new
cases wfe reported, as compared with
fourtecn Friday. Twelve cases were
found in Queens, eleven in Richmond
and four in The Bronx.
Nine hundred and seventy-seven
.ases were discovered in the five bor-
oughs in the week ended yesterday.
There were 552 cases the week before.
Death figures for the two weeks were
l64 and 1919, respectively. The toll of
the epidemic has now been 1868 cases,
resulting in $50 deaths.
City Accepts $4,000 Gift.
Announcement Of the gift from the
Foundation was made by the
Mayor yesterday afternoon. The offer
came as a result of the decision of the
subcommittee of physicians appointed
by Mayor Mitchell Wednesday afternoon
that it would be advisable as far as
practicable to discover and keep under
observation persons who have been in
immediate contact with infantile
paralysis patients.
The fund will be expended by COM
mttee consisting of the Mayor, who
will be chairman; Dr. Simon Flexner,
vice chairman; Health Commissioner
Emerson, DR.. Walter B. James and Dr.
r. Butler. The work will
have the object of discovering all per-
sons who might be carriers of the dis
ease. 1t will be carried out under the
direction and control of the Health De-
partment, under the general supervision
of the committee.
DR.. Alvah H. Doty will have imme-
date charge of the work II will be
conducted from the Health Depart
ment building in Brooklyn.
DR.. Banks Guides Fight.
DR.. Charles Z. Banks, senior surgeon
of the United States Public Health Ser
vice, came TO New York from Washing
ton yesterday TO direct one part of the
Federal governments fight against the
spread of paralysis to other states. The
work will be done under
his direction. DR.. c. H. Lavinder will
have charge of the laboratory research
work Of the government service.
DR.. c. II. Gardner, of Buffalo, and DR..
B. w. Brown, of Boston, Federal sur
geons, also reached New York yester-
day. Following a conference of the
eight Federal health officers now in
New York, held at the Hotel Mar
Unique, DR.. Banks discussed with Com
missioner Emerson, at the latter's
Office, the questions Of quieting the
alarm throughout the country the IN
fantile paralysis epidemic has caused.
Work of Doctors Praised.
Drs. Banks. Lavinder and W. II.
Frost, also of the Public Health Ser
vice, late in the afternoon issued
statement, in which they said:
1--WE must, of course, recognize the
seriousness of an epidemic which has
cost the lives of several hundred chill
dren and resulted in the paralysis OF
some hundreds more. Public health Of
6cials are the first to realize the Sc
riousness of the situation. but at the
same time are satisfied that the meas
ures being taken here are entirely
Never have such uni
versal and energetic measures been
,ston 70 restrict the spread OF infantlle
as are in effect at this time.
The public. both in New York and else
where. may feel that everything hu.
manly possible is being done to protect
them. n.L,; t1..I,h
Service is thoroughly alive to.the pos
sibiIities of the infection spreading TO
n,roun,ties outside of New York and