Measles Year

In most communities that bugaboo of mothers, Measles, follows a nicely defined curve. One year the disease will be prevalent, the following year rare. In one pair of years in Manhattan the ratio was 20:1. Last year was the low point of the curve; this year is a measles year. Manhattan's public health officials are getting into action, preparing to combat the malady.

Serums have been used in isolated cases to immunize children but the first general use will soon begin in Manhattan's public schools. Blood will be collected from adults who have suffered, will be injected into the children. For best results the injected blood should come from one of the child's parents.

Many have been the attempts to isolate the virus which causes measles. All have been unsuccessful. The best method of combatting the disease yet found was perfected by Dr. William Hallock Park of the New York Health Department. Thirty cubic centimetres of blood are drawn from the elbow of a person who has had measles, are injected into the child. If the child is over five years old the dose is doubled Half of the blood goes into the right buttock, half into the left. Consequences: a mild, immunizing case of measles, an inability to sit comfortably for a few hours. Due to the prevalence of measles, some communities have, to a large extent, immunized themselves. But when they remain untouched over long periods of time they provide fertile fields for the virus and often disastrous results occur.

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