The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-22
LOU GEHRIG IS
 MOST PITIFUL
 FIGURE TODAY
No Cure Known For Dis ease Yankee Baseball
 Star Has Picked Up
ny LESLIE AVERY
Wx AEOLNE AVE1VA Limited Press Staff Correspondent)

United Press Staff Correspondent) New York, June 22 = (U.PJ = Lou Gehrig, baseball's iron man for IA years, will pull himself out of the Yankee dugout and plod over to the umpire with the lineup for today's game, knowing that hls name never will be written on thsoe little pieces of pasteboard again.
 There probably will be cheers from the fans who first saw Lou in Yankee uniform June 1, 1925 and followed his brilliant career through 2130 consecutive games until May 3 of this year when he voluntarily benched himself / for "the good of the club"
 Gehrig's principal duty as non- playing captain of the team for the remainder of the year, will be to carry the lineup to the umpire. He never can play again. The truth has now conie out. He is suffering from 8 form of infantile paralysis. For the fans it marks the break down of the most extraordinary physical machine sports ever pro- duced. It means that "Locomotive" Gehrig, household word, has been ravished by disease practically be- fore their eyes.
 Just how long his connection with the game-as trainer, coach, manager or executive will con- tinue, none can say with certainty today.
 The seriousness of Lou's condi- tion was not made public until yes terday when findings of the Mayo Clinic ct Rochester, Minn., were revealed by New York Yankee off, cials. His disease is scientifically Tabled "Amotrophic Lateral Scle- rosis," for which no cure is known. Gehrig took 1t pholosophically, tell- ing newspapermen:
 If this is the finish, I'll just have to take it. You've got to take the bitter with the sweet, and at least know what is the matter with me now. haven't the slightest idea where I picked up such a germ. Nobody ever finds out, I guess"
 Robbed of the physical coordina- tion necessary to field and bat in big league style, Gehrig's future is uncertain. He will be carried on the active player list for the remainder of the season, but doctors orders tc conserve his energy will prevent his indulging in any form of phy- sical exertion. He is the highest paid man in baseball and will draw his stipulated $34,000 from the Yankees this season. But even club President Ed Barrow could not indicate future plans for the man who made history at first base for the Yankees.
 ] When this contract has expired 1t will be time enough to talk about g new one," Barrow said in deny- ing reports that Lou would be re- leased internationally at the end of the season. This all came SC sudden, we have not had chance to think about the future"
 According to the Mayo diagnosis Of Lous ailment, the nerve cells along his spine are breaking down and therefore preventing the trans mission of proper coordination oi physical and muscular activity from the brain. Dr. Harold c. Habein o1 the Mayo Clinic said the disease is extremely rare, that its cause is
 unknown. Dr. Habeins report fol. lows:
 This is to certify that MT. To, Gehrig has been under examination at the Mayo clinic from June 13 [, June 19, inclusive.
 After 8 careful and cornplet' examination, 1t was found that h'