The sun., 1916-09-19
SUIT THREATENED TO
KEEP SCHOOLS SHUT
Parents in Riverside District
Protest unsuccessfully
TO DR.. Emerson.
PARALYSIS on THE WANE
Development in 48 Hours
Lowest at Any Period Since
Early in June.

Legal action against the Board of
Health II the public schools are opened
on September rs was threatened yester-
day. Health Commissioner Haven Emer-
son received n letter Of protest from the
League OF Parents Association OF the
Eighteenth School District. This body of
parents objected that the epidemic OF
i~nfantile paralysis has not diminished
sufficiently 10 warrant the opening on
the date agreed upon by the Boa rd of
Health and the Board Of Education.
Tie Eighteenth School District con-
fans many well to do Manhattan fami-
Hes. and extends from Eighty-frst to
iOgth street and from Central Park West
70 the Hudson River. In this region are
FIX elementary schools. with $4,000
pupils. and three high schools, with $500
students. David Rothschild. chairman
o. the league. said that a case OF polio
myelitis was found In the n%eighborhood
OF a school at l0Sth street.
Basis Of the Protest.
The parents state In their letter that
they are Informed that the cases OF par
alys!s have not been decreasing at the
rate which was expected when the date
tor the opening Of the schools was set.
They therefore request DIR. Emerson to
forbid the opening OF the schools before
October 2. They say also in the letter:
" base this protest on the fact that
the state Board Of Health has advised
through the public prints. that parents
who are still out Of the city should not
return until after the LIST Of October with
their children"
Mr.. Rothsch!ld said a committee has
been appointed to consult lawyers. and
unless the parents are satisfied legal ac-
ton may be resorted to. In his answer
20 the communication DIR. Emerson said
re had decided not to alter the date after
consulting the Board OF Heaith's ad-
visory committee on infantile paralysis.
~ Lowest Level since June.
~. Emerson was largely strengthened
In his determination to stick TO the
scheduled opening by the fact that the
numbe OF cases and deaths reported
ycsts day for the preceding forty-eight
hours dropped 10 the lowest level reached
since the outbreak first assumed alarm
Ing proportions in the early part of June.
For the twenty-four hours ending at 10
o'clock sunday morning the reports
showed nine deaths and nineteen new
eases. For the period ending yesterday
morning another new low record was es-
tabl!shed. with six deaths and fifteen
new cases. These reports brought the
total OF cases to sos and OF deaths to
?.ls7.
Despite the nroads OF the disease the
Infant mortality rate for last week was
s9i per thousand OF population. lower
than the proportion for the correspond
Ing period In 1915. which was lee. The
general mortality figures also fell on
from IL 30 last year to 1879 for the past
seven days.
DR.. Emerson yesterday issued a state
ment taking issue with the assertion of
the Straus pasteurised milk stations
that none OF the children drinking their
milk had been an icted with infantile
Paralysis. He explained that he was ioath
:" do 'S. as the Straus stations had
done god work, but he had rec I'd so
many queries On the matter from various
parts OF the country that he felt obliged
20 deny Il.
out of 400 children whose cases were
INVESTIGATED in turn as they were ad-
mltted ~ the willard Parker Hospital.
the Commissioner said that 1873 had been
nouriShed on milk Diet. OF these, he
declared. six infants suffering from in
'artle paralysis had received pas,eur-
ized milk from the Straus depots. n
the same rate should prevail throughout
The total number of cases, the Health
Commissioned maintained, IL would be
found MET .'yh'y-four Wv, NOD -o.e'- 4
'Ne S'raus milk had suffered from the
nalady.
Or Charles T.. Banks, scnior surgeon
n charg" of the United States pubic
health Inspection Of Interstate ira vel
originating in New York city. said yes
t"rday thar he would Immediately ask
'hc United states Attorney for the
southern District Of New York to issue
warrant for the arrest OF "A man living