New-York tribune., 1920-12-19

Gwen the greatest encouragement it is
destroyed
Symptoms Of the disease would seem
10 BRING 1t uoarsr 10 Der.- bern IMAM AN
other, and fer the want Of better
name Dr. dAnn has called il pseudo
horl-bcri
On the theory that prison diet brings
aOout greater manifestation durinA
iac"rceraion of DAytlans than else
where. the gendarmerie doctors. under
inc direction Of DE-. Mann. have CON
Ggcted extensive dietary experiments.
Ne reports Show that diet variation
mas produced no marked beneficial re-
suits either as curative or prevcn-
Ve ais has destroyed a theory that
war odema. prevalent in prison camps.
cue 10 faulty noUrishmcnt, has rela-
loA to pseudo Deri-ber
As rice, the cause OF true bcri-beri
IS not used to any degree in the prison
rood here. the American doctors have
endeavored to ind a similar lack of
i"c.s la corn meal a base Of the
ordinary Haytian diet. Experiments to
cate have given no conclusive answer.
The institutional incidence Of the
llaytian disease, or its tendency TO ap
pear i'm epidemic form and TO. affect
certain institution. suggested the ma
turc Of an infcctive agent. AT one
time the bedbug was under suspicion
Numerous blood cultures ard cultures
from autoDsical finds, animal inocula-
ton and the like, have produced only
either negative or Inconsistent results,
says the medical chief of the gendar-
merle.
Nalady Decreases
On one occasion five hospital corps
men from the gendaYneric lnatives)
volunteered to be bitten by bedbugs
which had been fed on patients with
the disease. One Of these volunteers
developed dropSv six weeks later. but
this dropsY was attributed to other
causes, and the experiment was re
g2rdOd as negative.
The prevalence Of the maladv has
shown a progressive decrease during
the last three months, but whether
th.s is due 20 measures taken by Dr.
Mann and his staN can be determined
only after fuDther study and carccful
investigation. The American naval
surgeon explained to The TribunS that
he is careful not to accept alse en-
couragement because of the tendency
Of the disease to subsde altogether in
certain institutions and then suddenly
crop out anew with more serious re-
suits than ever.
Colonel Frederick NJ. Wise, U. S.
Marine Corps, commanding the Gen
carmerie d"HaEti, and Colonel John
Russell, commanding the First Marine
Brigade in Havti, have shown great in
terest in Or. Manns fight to locate the
cause and combat Hayti's disease. They
have given all possible assistance and
placed the entire line of research un-
hampered under his direction.
The benefcent and altrustic labor Of
DR.. Mann and his medical s.aT is one
Of msny compensat.ug -ac.ors in what
appears 10 be 4 muddled situation in
Hayti to-day. Theirs is d work for
humanity in the s.rictes1 sense
Undoubtedly the United States Pub
lie Health Service and the Rocke-
teller Institute would take q certain
interest in the strange disease. w..
Mann hopes. however, with the co.
operation Of such institutions and
with the utilization of such additional
fac lities, that the results of susta ned
efforts will service to eradicate a
scourge that kills such an appalling
lumber of Haytians every year.
So far as known Haytis mysterious
disease never has affected white man.