Medicine: Pneumonia Cure?

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Significance. As pneumonia causes an average of 90,000 deaths a year in he U. S., it is obvious that a saving of half, or even a quarter of these lives, is a matter of great moment. The announcement of the discovery and its possibilities was made with the authority of Dr. Milton J. Rosenau of Harvard, under whom Dr. Felton was working, Dr. William H. Park of Manhattan "and other conservative medical men."

Dr. Rosenau: "I believe a distinct advance has been made in the treatment of pneumonia. . . . Before the final word can be said concerning the usefulness and also the limitations of his agent, much scientific work must be done."

Dr. Park: "I regard the prediction hat the new serum will cure 25% to 50% of the cases as too optimistic. If it cures 10% I shall still consider Dr. Felton's work a great advance in medical science. It is not, however, 'a new discovery'; it is simply purifying and condensing of the old serum. The new serum probably will be available to general practitioners in about a month."

Dr. Felton, like Dr. Banting, discoverer of insulin (TIME, Aug. 27), is young, modest, unassuming. Born 32 years ago in Pinegrove Mills, Pa., he spent most of his youth in New Philadelphia, Ohio, was graduated in 1916 from Johns Hopkins University. He has been at Harvard since 1922.