New-York tribune., 1916-07-14
DR.. Meltzer Says Adrena-
line Injections Will
Aid Patients.
ABORTIVE CASES
CALLED MENACE
Aeolian Hall Audience Is Told
Best Way of Hating Pa
ralysis Spread Here.

The most complete fund of informa'
ton that has yet been given the pub
lie about infantile paralysis came last
night from a meeting in Aeolian Hall
held under the auspices of the New
York Academy Of Medicine. DR.. SIMON
Flexner. DR.. Henry Koplik, DR.. George
Draper, of the Rockefeller instituted
DIR. Louis C. Ager, of the Kingston Ave-
nue. Hospital; DR.. Josephine Is: Neal
of the Board of Health, ana heai1N
Commissioner Haven Emerson u.s.
cussed the plague from all ltS aspeDiS'
and set forth the entire STOCK OF AnV"'
edge that has so far been gatheleu'
The only specific medical trea'iiien. :.
suggested at the conference was tna'
of intraspinal injections Oh ha-
line nv DIR. S. j. Meltzer, of the kocke-
fnller Institute. He urged the treat
ment of all infantile paralysis cases
with this drug, saying 1t offered
stranger possibility. Many experi'
,'ants on monkeys in the institute, ne
asserted. had led him to his faith IN
the treatment.
"Tbis procedure" he declared, may
M. only save life, but in surviving
cases NAV prevent the spinal LESSONS
which eliminate in paralysis. There is
no danger involved. In human IN,
fantile paralysis the injection should
boqin with 5 per cent of adrenaline
More about its effects will be learned
after il has been used in a Few posi-
tive cases" al
DR.. Meltzer's suggestion attracted
oons;dorable attention among the ply
sicians. Several urged that 1t De
brought to the immediate attention OF
An indication of the intense interest
New York City is taking IN the plague
Is seen in the size of the audience
which crowded last night into the hali
10 hear the addresses. Invitations mad
been sent to every physician IN the
CITY. but hundreds of laymen found
seats. Every chair and all available
standing room were occupied, ana nun
dreds of persons were turned ava!
from the door. The original plan OF
holding the conference IN the AcauenIy
of Medicine was abandoned when the
tbrong outswelled the Academy hall.
DIR. Flexner's important address ap-
nears elsewhere in this mornings
issue of The Tribune. The most I'M
pOTldUI POlHtS A"NS -
speakers were:
Thousands Of so-called abortive cases
of infantile paralysis constitute one OF
the most grave menaces IN the spreao
of the plague. These are the cases
which do not actually develop into
real infantile paralysis, but the chill
dren affected are the most perfect car
riers of the germs. The symptoms are
nausea. fever. bowel trouble and fire.
ouently muscular and joint weakness
Three of the speakers united in urg-
ing that these abe cases be recog-
nized in their early stage, and that the
children be Immediately quarantined.
The spread of the epidemic has occa-
stoned much needless hysteria. More
children each year die from measles
scarlet fever, diphtheria and whooplng
cough than have already succumed 10
the infantile paralysis plague. twenty
per cent of the children under nine
wears afflicted with the disease recover,
and forty-eight between nine anu
eleven so afflicted recover.
Publicity and prompt reporting OF
susnicious cases are the two most eff
fectiye weapons with which the plague
can be fought.
DR.. Koplik, in tracing the history OF
infantile paralysis, showed how it be.
gan TO appear in the early months OF
the spring, ran its increasing course
through the summer and then dleo
down completely as the colder months
anproached. Most of our clinical
knowledge of infantile paralysis, he as
serted. came from the Swedes, among
whom the plague is believed to have
originated. He emphasized strongly the
inheritance of physicians watching
carefully for the abort;ve type and OF
quarantining Immediately children 81
afflicted.
DR. Emerson, after emphasizing the
unseasonableness of undue alarm dur.
ing the ravages OF the plague, Appeared
to the physicians for prompt reports
on all suspicious cases.
~ find that in May but five cases OF
infantile paralysis were reported TO the
Health Department by private doctors,'
he said. "Yet our house to house can
vass in that month showed fifteen Other
cases. The prompt reporting OF all
suspicious cases affords the most eff
fective means of checking the disease
The commissioner complimented the
hospitals and physicians who had sc
quickly rushed forward with aid II
the battle against the plague.
Thus far, the commissioner asserted
$500 suspicious cases had been re
ported to the Department of Health
Many of these reports had been BY
telephone and unsigned letters. Every
case thus reported has been investi'
gated.