New-York tribune., 1916-07-13
PARALYSIS CASES
FEWER In CITY
Continued from page I

uALits
Commissioner Emerson said yester-
day that despite the great increase in
the number Of new cases in the last
two days there was no reason for panic.
''If people will obey ell the warn
ings of the Health Department, keep
ing their children of the streets. but.
where it is possible. outdoors. apart
from other children. we can yet hope
TO check the epidemic" he declared.
Department officials have pointed out
that annual figures for such copta-
gious diseases as diphtheria, measles
end scarlet fever ere considerably larger
than those for the present epidemic OF
infantilc paralysis. which. they are GER
tain will in all probability end with
cool fall weather, should il not be
checked sooner.
Other Diseases Cited.
In 1915 in the five boroughs there
were 1929 cases of dphtheria and
Group, which in the departments rec
ords are listed together, and l,27o
deaths; 3s,1s6 cases of measles and $50
deaths; 9S79 cases of scarlet fever and
29l deaths. In 1914 there were 41,02l
cases of the three diseases, causing
2,307 deaths.
Ambulance drivers for the Health
Department are working in some cases
twenty-four hours day, snatchlng
what little sleep they can between
trips, as a result of the discovery of
more than 450 paralysis cases in the
last three days. Nurses, too, have
found almost no chance to rest. There
are now 800 paralysis patients in the
Kingston Avenue Hospital, Brooklyn;
800 in Willard Parker, Manhattan; 20
in Riverside, North Brother Island, ard
l09 in private hospitals and those OF
the Department of Charities. There
are about | 200 beds still available in
hospitals whose facilities are open to
the Health Department.
The American Red Cross informed
Mayor Mitchell yesterday that it was
ready TO offer aid whenever it was
needed.
Many Physicians Gather.
Those present at the conference in
| the City Hall were Commissioner En-
erson, Fire Commissioner Adamson
| Street Cleaning Commissioner Fether-
ston, Acting Police Commissioner
Cooley, License Commissioners Bell
Tenement House Commissioner Muir
ply, James j. Powers, sanitary en-
| gineer of the Health Department IN
Brooklyn; DR.. John Dill Robertson
Health Commissioner of Chicago; Dr
c. II. Lavinder, of the United States
Public Health Service; Dr. Leland
| Cofer, health officer of the Port OF
New York; Dr. Alva H. Doty and DR.. 5
S. Goldwater, ex-Commlssioner OF
Health.
Also State Health Commissions
Herman NJ. Biggs. DR.. Flexner. DR.
John w. Brannan, president of the
| Board of trustees of Bellevue and
Allied Hospitals; DR.. Samuel Lambert
| dean of the College of Physicians anc
Surgeons; DR.. Elias II. BARLEY, of the
Long Island College Hospital; DR.
Walter b. James, president of the New
York Academy Of Medicine; DR.. Will
lam II. Park. Or. II. B. Delatour. Or
Francis Carter Wood, president of the
! Wood Laboratory for Cancer Re
search: DR.. S. r. Blatteis, DR.. Henry
H. Koplik and Dr. Antonio Stella:
DR.. Philip Van Ingen, of the Willard
Parker Hospital; DR.. George Draper
DR.. Leon LAURA and DR.. Floyd NJ
/ Crandall.
The committee appointed at the con,
ference which was held behind closed
doors consists of Drs. Flexner, Gold
water. LAURA, Stella, Doty and James
At the close of the meeting Mayor
Mitchell gave out statement IN wnicn
he said: "The committee will consider
these two suggestions of the CONFER
ence: first, whether there is an I'M
mediate need of further field inspection
nv following up the members OF lam
! lies Of diseased children who have
zone away into other communities
thereby tracing other cases OF the as
ease which have been spread by tnem
and which may not have been reported
! "a the Health Department, pursuant 70
law. The second suggestion IS the
question of a more succinct and simple
statement 10 the public for guidance
of mothers of children who have been
attacked or exposed to the disease
These instructions would also aid doc
tors in reporting stpicious cases
All Agencies Aiding.
az. was the consensus of opinion at
the meeting that the Health Depart
ment and the other agencies OF the
government were doing all IN their
mower. all that they possibly can DO
in the light of human knowledge OF the
disease. specifically asked the con-
ference II il was its judgment that
anything could be added TO the work
Of the various cooperating departments
- cioapipO nm the city. IL was