New-York tribune., 1916-07-22
Emerson Still Doubts
That Drug Will
Effect Cure.
SUSPECT CASES
CAUSE WORRY
Record of 1908 Broken;
80 More Die; B. R. T.
Must Clean Cars.

rirbtv-one cases OF infantile paraly-
81. were found during the twenty-four
bours ended at 10 o'clock yesterday
norninr. a decrease of thirty-eight
from the day before. and the lowest
number for any day since July 8.
Mortality figures. however, continued
high. thirty-two deaths being reported
70 the Health Department, bringing the
total for he last four days to 1le'
Optimism on the part Of the health
authorities. based on the slsckening
IN the epidemic's spread, was tempered
bv the knowledge that reports Of sus-
reeted cases were coming in thick ana
fast Scores of diagnosticians on the
denartment's staff We're busy making
calls all day yesterday. and 1t was
feared that illness figures would leap
upward.
Suspected Cases Tested.
Complete reports from physicians
NIL not be in the hands of the Health
Dspsrtment until this morning, so that
i, was impossible 70 ascertain last
night how many of the suspected cases
had been diagnosed as true cases OF
infantile paralysis.
Physicians fighting the epidemic
showed much interest yesterday IN an
announcement that favorable results
i'm the treatment of infantile paralysis
pa:ients were being achieved at the
New York Throat, Nose and Lung Hos
pital By intra-spinal injections OF
adrenalin. suggested by DR.. S. J. Melt
,er. Of the Rockefeller Institute for
Medical Research.
DR.. T. J. Birmingham, chief surgeon
at .he hospital. made report TO the
Health Department, in which he said
"The Throat. Nose and Lung Hospital
has had onl three deaths since 1t began
receiving cases. one week ago. Two
Of these occurred six hours after
,fo patients were admitted. All were
due to complete paralysis from the
neck iown-the thorax and both upper
and lower extremities- which eondl-
ton existed in each case when the
patient was admitted.
Air Aids in Treatment.
The routine treatment Of all cases
has been fresh air at all times, screen
inc from flies, antiseptics Of the throat
and nose, frequent sponglng OF the
entire body. frequent changing of per
soral and bed linen, at least one quart
of milk daily. regular doses Of urotro-
p,n. intra-spinal injections of adrenslin
every six hours and oxygen as indl-
Gated
Three cases were admitted in a
moribund condition and death resulted:
Two cases were transferred because OF
the development Of measles. The forty
one cases remaining are improving
some in a remarkable degree, even 10
the disappearance Of the paralysis,
"Dr Meltzer visited the hospital 10,
day and was pleased at the pracucsl
results obtained from following his
suggestion. Beginning with injections
OF one.fftb cubic centimetre Of adrena-
lin. these were cautiously increased to
two cubic centimetres, with no bad re-
suit and H. many cases with the most
remarkable Improvement IN all the
symptoms and the partial or complete
disappearance of the paralysis.
Emerson Still Doubtful.
Health Commissioner Emerson de-
clsred that the good results from tne
treatment DR.. Birmingham had tred
were gratifying but he could not be
certain they were due to the use OF
adrenalin.
Dr. Louis c. Ager, at the head of the
iafantile paralysis wards in the King
ston Avenue Hospital. Brooklyn, said
ths, adrenalin was being tried in that
institution, but that he had seen
Nothing IN H."
But thirty-six cases of infantile
Paralysis we're reported 70 the Health
Department from Brooklyn yesterday,
the lowest figure for the borough since
June %. when twenty-three cases were
reported ont Of a total of thirty for
he whole city. Manhattan had sixteen
eases. Queens fourteen, Richmond
eleven and The Bronx four.
1905 Record Is Passed
The total number Of cases in the epi-
demic Of 1907, estimated at $500. has
now been exceeded by the present
Plague. Reported cases total 2,52f. Inc
death Toll is 519 There were but Few
more than 100 deaths in 1907.
=. Surgeons Of the United States Public
health Service were not greatly en-
couraged bv the comparatively small
number Of cases reported yesterday
Drs. c. II. Lavinder and Wade II. Frost
oi the service, agreed in believing that
an Epidemic such AS the present one
would not quickly die down.
Commissioner Emerson has an
nouneed change in the method OF
issuing health certificates. Private
physicians certificates hereafter will
be accepted as 70 the health OF appli,,
eants and the Health Department will
certify merely that there has been no
case Of infantile paralysis reported
Continued on page I. column