The Washington herald., 1921-03-14

GIRL'SCUREBY
SPINERUBBINC
Report on Talking Sick.
ness Case Disputes Claim
OF Chiropractors.
PHYSICIANS WATCH
PROGRESS CLOSELY
News Accounts of Malady
Give False Color, Ar
ticle Says.


The American Medical Association
has asked the press to give pub
Iicity to the report of its investi-
CATION of the case of S-year-old
Miriam Rubin. Of Waukegan, III,
whose daily progress while suffer-
ing from so-called sleeping sick
ness" and whose "cure" by chiro-
tractor was reported widely.
The District of Columbia Medical
Society. acting for the national or
SanizatiCn. has asked Tho Herald
t. publish the findings OF the in
vcstIgator.
The child. according t. thu 'e-
ports. is still dangerously il. She
is suffering from a form of epidemic
encephalitis, with excitation, a dis
ease that seems to, be sort OF after
effect of influenza, and which is in
an epidemic stage la all parts OF
the country. Differem: types Of this
disease are often referred to as
sleeping sickness" or talking sick
ness"
Omcial Report.
After interviewing both the fam
lily physician, DR.. Il. II. T. Nesbitt.
and the girls mother and father,
and seeing the patient, the investi-
e.. n NIl hNg a
Journal of the American Medical
Association reported the following
Marian Rubin was a normal
child up to February and 4, when
she complained of slight pain in
arms, hands and legs. In 1919 she
had suffered with influenza, from
which she recovered. On February
she began talking rapidly and
practically continuously, chattering
all day and night. DR.. Nesbitt was
tcalled in on February 6.
Patient continued to talk rapidly,
and her body was continuously NOV
I ing from side to side. the arms and
legs twitching spasmodically and
irregularly over a wide range. She
did not complain OF pain. DR.. Pre-
BILE. a Chicago physician. was called
into consultation on February Z. pa
TENTS condition being the same.
Medicine had been administered
consistoing in part of sodium bro
mid and chloral.
Nurse Secured.
Symptoms continued with practi-
cally no abatement and a eradicate
| nurse was secured. On February 8
the patient slept for short periods
| and the next day she was very
restless and irrational" Condition
continued about the same. DR.. Aor
of Chicago visited the patient on
February 12. He diagnosed the case
as epidemic encephalitis.
Father Of girl explained that To-
cal newspaper and the press gen.
orally had reported the girls con-
| dition and that he had received nu-
merous letters recommending vari-
Gus treatments and practitioners,
and a telegram from Detroit sug-
costing an osteopath or chiroprac-
| tor. Friends recommended Mr.
| Berger.
February 13 the patient seems
| drowsy, but has not slept all night.
| Chiropractor gave treatments in
morning and afternoon. and patient
! slept for hour intervals, but was
| restless all night From February
IL to- IS, Mr.. Berger gave treat
ments twice daily, and DR.. Nesbitl
| administered medication consisting
| of laxatives, as needed. twice daily
Sleeps at Intervals.
Patient slept at intervals fol
two and a half to three hours, but
was continuously active and al
times deIirious. On Feb. 10 and u
patient complained of pain in bach
IDrs. Abt and Preble diagnosed tn,
case again on Feb. 21 as encephal.
tits unmodified by treatment. Dur,
ing the two weeks patient had
shown continuous temperature
with maximum of l03 degrees
IChiropractic treatments" wer,
given on February % and 20, wher
they were discontinue.
patient slept all night. on Feb.
ruary %. Condition to March ! re-
mafned about the same: Girl wal
/ seen by Investigator on March 1
Her condition was: Greatly enact
kated, pain in back and abdomen
J pain ON. motor of limbs, lips were
; swollen, can not sit up without as
sistance, means on moving armi
and limbs, answers questions intel
ligently but -.listlessly, does MOI
smile or show interest, objects t.
any attempts at touching her back
DR.. Nesbitt says Improvement hal
been gradual and that 1t Is his be
lief that the condition was not II
any way changed by chiropracti,
treatment" except that the spine
heca me sore and teuder COnclus sioy
lis that case Is following course
such as has been reported by man,
tobservers Of encephalitis."
study OF Malady.
| Just now epidemic encephalitis 1,
| spread and how to cure 1t is moi
vet known. In all parts Of ths
world, particularly in. .Sew 'Yorl
under the direction of DR.. Simor
Flexner and others. and In Great
Britain, intensive research work 4.
being done to determine method.
| of combating this present epidemic
which has. since its first appear.
ance in 1917 in. Austria. travelled
westward through Italy, France
England and then to all parts OF
| the- United states.
Reports received by the PubiYt
Health Service from Great Britain
say that II has been discovered thai
II Is probable that encephalitis a
not germ or contagious disease
but that II Is caused by poisons
produced by somes disordered func-
tion of the body. This latest ex-
pfanstion is considered probable be-
cause 1t has not been possible to
II -. a.