The sun., 1916-08-24
PARALYSIS SERUM
IN NEW CASES ONLY
Health Board Finds Best Re-
suits From Use in First
Stage.
WORST BELIEVED OVER
Secondary Cases Found to BE
Less Than in Measles or
Whooping Cough.
WORST BELIEVED OVER

Because Of the lack of serum for
fighting ~infantile paralysis in New York
city. Commissioner Emerson Of the De-
partment Of Health announced yester-
day that hereafter the available supply
drawn from the blood of persons who
have recovered from the disease will be
used almost exclusively in the treatment
Of cases in the first stages Of infection.
A a result OF an analysis OF cases
Of poliomyelitis treated with immune
serum up to the present time 1t is APP
parent that the best results are obtained
in the first three days after the onset
of the disease the Commissioner ex-
planned. This Is similar to the eXpe-
rience with the use OF sera In other In
fectious diseases. The application oil
this procedure will be limited largely in
the future to such cases as are reached
In the earlier stages of the disease. Con-
iinued observation will be made or the
results OF the serum treatment in Sc
lected cases where extending paralysis
threatens NE"
DR.. Emerson agreed entirely with the
statement which Prof. Arnold Meter
cabled from Paris advocating the use
OF human serum In combating the dis
ease. The Health Commissioner char
acterized the statement as indorscmen
OF what the local authorities are already
practising.
THE department has for some time
been using immune serum In all Dor
oughs." he added. the serum beins
given by the spinal method. This will
he continued throughout the city and Tho
department will welcome the cooperation
OF private physicians who see cases II
the period Of early or suspicious symp'
toms"
Not Certain About Houseny.
Or. Emerson does not believe that tn
heat Of the past few days has been re
spons!ble for the slight increase in tn
number NJ cases. Commenting on tn
report that Samuel Dixon. Health Com
missioner Of Pennsylvania. had proved
the housefy to be a carrier, pr. Elmer
son said that II such proof can b
furnished Il will go a long way tnTar
ending this and averting future ep!
demics.
Seven immune volunteers gave nfty
five ounces OF blood yesterday at Willar'
Parker Hospital to be used In the manu-
facture OF serum. and seventeen ounce
OF normal blood were given by two VIII
have NOT had the disease. DESPITE III
appeal of the Health Department. how
ever. not one pet dog or cat with an,
form OF paralysis was brought to TN
laboratories. one cat was offered. bu
the suspected paralysis proved OH eN
nat to he a case OF broken bacF
one OF the main causes Tor lack q
serum is the fact mat no blood VIII b
taken from convalescert children weigh
ing under 20 pounds. which eliminate
the majority Of recovered victims. an
nonc will be taken in other cases viii
out written consent by the parents.
There were i3I new cases rcpOrtc
Yesterday. as against us tn" day bs
fore. and there were fprty-two dcntl,
yesterday. as compared with thirty-r!'
Tuesday. Manhattan had - cases an
IL d,a,hs Brooklyn 10 new cases an
Is deaths. In Queens there were :
cases and nine deaths in h Rrot,
10 cases and six deaths. and IN Rcf
mond three new cases. The total {
deaths from the epidemic reached La
with these reports. and the number ,
cases now recorded j. 1.i23.
In spite of the fact that Yesterday
figures showed an increase over the pre-
ceding days, Commissioner Emerson
confident that the epidemic Il on n
wane. SO far the average has been II
cases "A day for his week, while La
week IL was $50 a day. According
the maps prepared by tho depariinei
the cases and deaths are Decreasing
Last week the figures for every 30
ough were lower than for several week
In Brooklyn the total Of 33A new cas-
last, week was the smallest since Il
week Of July ., and Rlchmonds mite.
Sc, tho same mark. Manha''au'S g.
was the lowest week sine" that "g.nr
.July 80, and in the entire city the
were fewer cases than SINE ~" we,
beginning July 81.