Little Accident

Late last summer 16-month-old Joan Anderson of Washington, D.C. came down with nephrosis, a sometimes fatal kidney disease which doctors don't know much about. One thing the medical men do know about the disease: if a nephrotic catches measles, the patient often improves (why measles sometimes acts as an antidote is another thing the doctors don't know).

Pediatrician Herbert Click decided last February that the best thing to do with Joan was have her catch the measles. He took her to visit a measly six-year-old, and the children played together for an hour. But stubborn nature refused to take its course, and Joan missed the measles. In March, under careful medical supervision Joan was exposed to a second measles case. Once again, nothing happened.

Several weeks ago, when Dr. Click was casting about for other ways of treating Joan's nephrosis, Joan's cousin, four-year-old Kenneth Anderson, came over for a visit. A few days later Kenneth was in bed with the measles. Soon after, the welcome rash appeared on Joan's arm.

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