BLOOD TRANSFUSION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 8

BLOOD TRANSFUSION

IMMUNITY FROM MEASLES

(From "The Post's" Representative.) NEW YOEK, 15th April.

Permanent immunisation of children! against measles by the use of their parents' blood has been found so successful that physicians are being advised; as to the tranfusion method.

The- Commisioner of Healtli, Dr. Shir« Icy W. Wynne, says that the comparatively now whole blood injection treatment lias withstood the-- most rigorous tests in a study covering ton years. The Department of Health has had theso tests made in various hospitals, and is convinced that the method means a great decrease in deaths from measles.

While the use of the serum of measles convalescents has been.general since it was found effective in the treatment of that malady some thirty years ago, the use of the whole adult blood was not brought to the fore until 1920, when Dr. Degkwitz, of the University of Greifswald, Germany, announced its efficacy. In the following two years, Dr. Degkwitz published the results obtained by himself and ,his ! associates in more than a thousand cases. Th* results were most favourable antl, ev«* where tho disease was not prevented the transfusion lessened the severity; of the attack.

Now that the blood can be obtained right in the home of the child, the New York Health authorities believe tho way is opened not only to reduce the measles death rate but also to render; more children immune to the disease.