Salt Lake Telegram | 1933-09-11 | Page 3 | Noted Woman Doctor to Fight Encephalitis

NOTED WOMAN DOCTOR TO FIGHT ENCEPHALITIS SI Sleeping Sickness Found to Take Greatest Toll Among Old People I Dr SIT Pre ui I ST. ST LOUIS Sept 11 Another 11 Another weman woman woman wo wo- man scientist was here today to aid Inthe Inthe in inthe the battle against sleeping sickness which has taken a total of ot victims She is Js Dr Josephine Neal of New NewYork NewYork NewYork York City h health alth department t a wId widely ly known authority on encephalitis It was a woman who made the first important discovery in the St. St Louis epidemic epIdemic Dr Margaret G. G Smith Washington university pathologist She reported finding inclusion bodies in kidneys of victims which apparently con contained ined the virus responsible responsible sible for the infection Dr Neal commented today on the fact that disease here has most heavily ily affected older persons The mortality mor mar rate in St. St Louis Is greatest among these persons while in previous previous pre pre- epidemics she studied about half the deaths were of ot children under 15 IS she said FIRST EPIDEMIC This Is the first summer epidemic of ot encephalitis in this country accordIng according accord accord- ing to Dr Neals Neal's records The term sleeping sickness is an unfortunate one she said as in many cases the disease does does' not cause the afflicted person to sleep Insomnia may result instead and there arc are many other effects The term encephalitis encephalitis en en- would better be used in reference ret ret- ref ref- to the malady she pointed out She said she would return to New NewY NewYork NewYork Y York rk Wednesday evening after study ing the epidemic and obtaining sam sam- pies of ot brain matter which will be used in further study Dr Neal for the last six years has been executive secretary of a foundation foundation tion established by the late William J J. J Matheson New York vice president of the Corn Products Refining com pany FOR FORI STUDY Matheson su suffered from sleeping sickness but recovered In his will wll he left to be used in study o othe of the disease As St St. Louis battled with the dread and mys mysterious rious disease St. St Joseph a smaller Missouri metropolis reported encephalitis had reached epidemic proportions proportions proportions pro pro- portions ther there Eight deaths have been reported eleven cleven have been pronounced pronounced pronounced pro pro- cured and others are confined at home or in city isolation hospital The death of a year old woman o othe of the disease was reported last night a at Independence Mo CHICAGO Sept 11 ff IP The The first firs case of ot sleeping sickness in Chicago was reported early today when Benjamin Benjamin Benjamin Ben Ben- jamin Arkow 3 was taken to a hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital with an illness diagnosed by Dr Charles attending clan as encephalitis