New-York tribune., 1920-01-18
Olives Kill 2
More as Serum
ToSave Comes
ANGELO Delbene Dies Before
Fluid Can Be Injected,
Doniinick Few Hours AZ
ter Receiving Treatment
Plane Fails to Deliver
Breaks Down ON Way From
West; Washington Rushes
Tube, but 1t Is Too Late

Anselo Delbene. the fifth member of
an. family to die Of poisoning duo to
;mpsdectly preserved ripe olives, ex-
cired last night at Fordham Hospital
inst as antitoxin, developed to combat
srch. cases. was received at the insti-
.ution. The serum was administered
ia Dominick Delbene, but he too died
vghin a few hours.
A series of mishaps prevented the
Medicine from reaching New York in
time to save the men. 1t was sought
It first at the University of sIllinois
and was to be brought to New York
sy mail airplane. The pilot waited at
chicago until the swift motor car
bringing the fluid from UrDaua. III.
arrived. The tube reached the flying
field at s a. M, but engine trouble
delayed the start until 11:45 a. m.
Even then the pilot expected to reach
New York by o'clock. Both engine s
went dead, however, and he made a
forced landing at Black Oak, Ind.
Harvard's Supply Exhausted
In the meantime it was discovered
that the serum had been developed at
the Harvard University laboratories.
aud the hospital authorities telephoned
there, only to learn that the supply wa 3
exhausted. They were told. however.
that some might be had at the Bureau
Of Animal Industry in Washington.
It was there that the serum was oh
.ained. 1t was sent by special delivery
by train due in New York at $40
D. m. Although not put out of the race
as was the airplane, the train was de-
layed by snow and cold, and did not
reach the Pennsylvania Station until
6:s5 p. m.
Dr.. Chapman Q. Dykes, a Fordham
Hospital inferno, was at the station
with a motor ambulance and the au-
thority Of the postmaster to get his
mail direct from the pouch. The en-
gne Of the ambulance was throbbing
in the runway of the station and DR..
Dykes was pacing the platform in the
train she'd.
1t was nearly z o'clock by the time
the pouch was found and unlocked. DR..
Dykes got the small package at 1910
and sprinted for the runway, where
George Schnur was waiting with the
ambulance. From the Pennsylvania
Station to Fordham Hospital the dis
lance is sixteen miles, and the streets,
specially those at the end of the run,
we're deep with snow. Nevertheless
Schnur reached the institution in TWEEN
ty-seven minutes.
Angelo Delbene was dying when they
arrived. He succumbed at sos o. M,
while the antitoxin was being injected
into the veins of Dominick Delbene.
Dr.. John Riegelman, the Bronx
County Medical Examiner says that
the lives of three members of the
Delbene family could have been saved
il the Health Department had had
the serum on hand. Hospital authori-
ties were inclined to criticize the de-
bene home is at 1928 Hughes Avenue,
the Bronx.
No symptoms of the disease, which
is identified by paralysis of the mus
cles, have developed in ten-year-old
Concetta Delbene. She ate only one
Of the fatal c.;Hes and is under OBJ
servation at the hospital. The only
member of the family Immune, how
ever, is Joseph, eight years old, who
did not eat any Of the olives. Paul
Delbsne. his wife, Marie. and their
Dcminick was q brother of Paul.
1tsS oCk UAi UAISh AZ wa uOHcu ~
obtain from Chicago was developed in
The laboratory of the University of
Illinois at Urbana by Professor Robert
Grahar. head Of the chemistry depart
ment Of the university. He had been
searching for remedy for botulism.
Referred to U. S. Bureau
Dr.. Edward Carl Rosenow, of the
Harvard Medical School. also is said to
have developed the serum. When Ford
ham authorities got DR.. Rosenow on
the telephone, however, he said lie had
nome at present and referred them to
Dr. John Mccoy, of the United States
bureau OF Animal Industry in Wash
ington.
The anti-toxin perfected by Profess
sor Graham was first used at Detroit
N the cases OF persons who had be-
come III after eating olives. Five per-
sons who attended dinner there on
October 23 died within four davs of a
strange. food poison, newly discovered
and called botulisn Two others were
dangerously i'll for weeks. All had
Eaten ripe olives.
Dr.. Graham announced he had per-
Ieeted an antisoxin for botulism and