Smyrna times., 1941-09-11
NEW DATA IN
EPIDEMIC FIGHT
Experts Risk Lives to Gain
Useful Facts Checking
Halifax ScOurge
LIFELINE FOR SUPPLIES

BOSION. - "A Qramatlc, uncen-
sored account of virulent epidemics
which have been raging in Halifax.
Nova Scotia, and which threatened
for time to cut the lifeline of
Britain-bound supplies, has been re-
vealed here.
With it was disclosed the heroic
story of IL American men and wom-
en-, members of the Harvard med
ical school research staff, who went
to that port while it was infested
with meningitis, diphtheria and
scarlet fever and joined forces with
local authorities in combating the
diseases.
This story can be written now be-
cause the epidemics are under con-
troll and because the Harvard expe-
dition has set up public health meas
ures which make their recurrence
unlikely.
Moreover, in the battle, the expedi-
tion gained scientific knowledge of
the diseases and their conquest
which is expected to render them
far less dangerous than they have
been.
A report is being made to the sur
geon general Of the United States
public health service detailing the
work of the expedition from its de-
parture from Boston by plane on
January q until its return four
weeks later.
Gain New knowledge.
Aside from the main technical
theme, the report tells the story of
IL men and women risking their
health and even their lives for the
progress Of medicine.
Besides additional knowledge
about scarlet fever, the report de-
scribes new technique for diagnos-
ing meningitis and a more powerful
drug for combating it which offers
possibility Of eliminating carriers,
and an improved way for dealing
with adult immunization against
diphtheria.
These advances were possible be-
cause Halifax was so ridden with in
fection that the Harvard expedition
had available in four weeks materi-
al which normally might not have
been encountered in four years.
Doctors worked overtime as dis
ease mounted. Hospitals became so
crowded that one turned a golf club
house into an annex. Halifax was
termed the perfect culture medium
for epidemics.
Diphtheria came first. 1t first
struck early last fall and spread
rapidly. Doctors were able to check
the number of deaths with anti
toxin, but the sick lists climbed
steadily.
Cases Fall Abruptly.
Harvard tests later showed that
between 70 and 80 per cent of the
population was susceptible.
The first step was collaborating
with local officials in establishing
daily, free, immunization clinics.
Army and navy officials quickly or
dered the same procedure for their
men. Abruptly the number of cases
fell.
From this experience and our ex-
perience in the general situation"
DR.. Mueller wrote in his report, sit
is possible to formulate procedure
which seems to be reasonably valid
in dealing with adult immunization
against diphtheria if it should be-
come necessary in certain of our
own military groups"
Meningitis did not attain the prev
alence of diphtheria because DR..
Dingle used sulfadiazine, a relative
ly recent addition to the sulfanila-
mide family, to fight it.
Data on all three epidemics are
now being studied in laboratories in
the United States and the full i'm
portance of the Harvard expedition
to Halifax will not be realized until
the studies are completed. But even
now, doctors agree, the record
forms brilliant chapter in modern
medical history.