New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-20
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
IN ALL BOROUGHS
ferring to his conversation with the

ferring 70 his conversation with The
Commissioner, Mr.. Rothschild said:
"The Commissioner didn't call me {
fool, but | knew what he had in his
mind. He is doctor and | am con
tractor. When we contractors disagree
We call each other damn fools. Com
missioner Emerson didn't put 1t thai
way. He only said that science and
not hysteria or sentiment should rule
Now, / don't think we are so very hys-
terical in wanting the school opening
postponed, since Newark, Jersey City
and other cities are postponing th'
opening of their schools, and since
many colleges also are postponlng theli
awe are not going to send our chill
dren to school until the epidemic ],
over. To-day there was Jump OF
twenty new cases over yesterday hho
they can't tell me the epidemic IS over
We are going to stop the operation OF
the compulsory education law II we
can. All the doctors disagree as 70
whether the epidemic is over. AT q
time when the doctors disagree the
poor patient suffers"
SAYS Increase is Not Alarming
DIR. Emerson refused yesterday 10
comment on the threat of the league
headed by Mr. Rothschild TO take legai
action TO prevent the opening OF the
schools other than to reiterate tha'
September % had been set as the dste
The Commissioner declared he did no'
consider the increase shown IN yester-
DAVIS reports as alarming.
"To-dav's figures are lower than tnose
of the same day a week ago. he sald,,
"when thirty-eight new cases an q
eighteen deaths were reported II
might be interesting for those VINO
Doubt that the disease is rapidly dying
oyt 70 contrast this weeks figures with
tbose Of last week. In the three days
of This week we have had sixty-nlne
coses reported, an average OF twenty
tbree a day. For Sunday, Monday ana
TUESDAY OF last week there were lo4
cases reported. an average OF "a Gay
We do not regard the figures for to-day
Dr. Charles f. Bolduan, director. OF
+bo Rureau of Public Health Education
told Yesterday of the elaborate precau-
lions that will be taken 10 prevent thc
school children catching infectious as
cases when the schools are opened next
Monday. He said: oooo .it.
"Fverv morning the 100000. pupils
will receive their daily morning hyglenee
insnection. In some schools this VIII
no very formal and military; IN otheIs
- will be very much like the looKlhg
over careful mothers give their eniidren
when they get them ready for scnool'
Cleanliness is TO become q haolV IN
,ybich the children will take personal
lido Glass records may be kept Oh
charts hung up in the classroom io I
c,,erv one to see. This Will be adapteu
bv the principal of each school 10 'he
special needs OF his pupils.
New syllabus Includes Health Care
"Tbe new syllabus is more than a
svnopsis of topics for instruction. ~
!: we'll rounded system OF nealIh
care and management as well: An e.
tort has been made TO show the teach-
ers how the classroom may De maue
,,Ioce favorable to health rather imam
n sickness. To this end there are
requlations concerning seating, hght'
+ernnerature. ventilation and the Ilhe'
The ianitors will be required TO heip'
and. incidentally, this will make the
Classroom a more healthful place ior
the teacher, as we'll as for the pupils
The new syllabus tells how 70 rec
ognize the first signs OF INFECTIOUS
diseases. and tells the teacher what 70
do OF course, il is agreed that the
teacher is not a physician and should
not assume responsibilities when
properly belong to physicians alone
INIT these simple directions should de-
crease the number Of days OF absence
and the frequency Of children's ols-
eases"
DR.. Allan ". Freeman, Of the United
States Public Health Service, VINO mas
been doing research work TO discover
the source of infantile paralysis and
the method Of its spread, sald yes
tordav he had abandoned the theory
that the plague was carried by rat
feas.
THE theory was taken up most care
fully" said DR.. Freeman, land while
for a time the results appeared prom
, Using. further Investigations convinced
US that the theory did not account
| for the facts"
Plague Not Spread by Vermin-
DR.. Freeman conducted his expert
ments with feas obtained from various
sections Of the city where the disease
has been most prevalent, particularly
the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. lr
company with DR.. Mark Richardson
of the Massachusetts, State Board o.
/ Health, and Dr. W. ". Conn, Of Rhode
Island, DR.. Freeman went to Providence
and other cities and obtained feas from
infected districts. II was learned yes
terday that scientists have also aban-
doned their belief that the disease was
spread by lice or mosquitoes.
DR.. Donald Baxter, director OF the
general committee on after care OF IN
fantile paralysis, announced yesterday
that the committee had engaged Miss
Miriam T. Sweeney, Of the Children's
Hospital, at Boston, to come TO New
York and train nurses in muscle train
ing work Miss Sweeney will conduct
clinics at the various orthopedic hos
pitfalls and dispensaries. and will teach
100 nurses in classes of from twelve to
eighteen.
Sixty-six new cases of infantile pa.
ralysis and one death were reported IN
the state outside of New York City fol
the twenty-four hours ended at 3 p. m
yesterday. Officials Of the State De
partment of Health pointed out that
many of the new cases had their incep
ton over the weekend.
The death occurred in Oneonta. The
new cases were reported from the fol
| lowing counties: Onondaga, ~; West