Stillman Dilates; Opens New Ward To Virus Victims

Stillman Infirmary officials have opened a 49-bed ward to meet overflow conditions in the regular building. The daily number of patients has been steadily increasing for the last four weeks and yesterday reached 55.

Dr. Andrew W. Contratto, examining physician at Stillman, reported that a strange virus is attacking students, hospitalizing them from four to five days. This germ is similar to the influenza bug that ran rampant after the first World War, but it is much less serious. When asked whether doctors knew what caused this particular virus. Contratto remarked. "There are so many damn viruses we don't know what to do with them all."

The symptoms observed in this malady are a sore throat, cold, slight fever, and often nausea and a headache.

Other factors contributing to the crowded conditions are an increase in the number of patients suffering from mononucleosis, a disease which attacks the red corpuscles and causes a profusion of white ones, and a small scale epidemic of measles. Contratto predicts that the number of measles cases will be on the increase until the end of April. He assured sufferers that Stillman will be able to handle all the cases they get, but that the nurse shortage might be a problem.