New-York tribune., 1907-10-18
NEW EPIDEMIC HERE.
CHILDREN THE VICTIMS.
Ner York's First Visit Jy Plague
of InfantiIe Paralysis.

" ANt OHtdC = ttf 0tDStS.
Ac1lte anterior poliomyeIitis generally called
.s,santile paralysis" a disease which usuaIly
numbers among its victims children between
.,ro and ten years old. is epidemic here, for the
c-st time in the history Of this city. Like cere-
,-o-s -suinal meningitis it attacks the spinal cord
o,d generally results in a permanent disability
- some part Of the body. The word poliorny-
spas literally translated means inflammation
., many places. Various parts Of the spinal
,.-6 are usually affected The disease is seldom
fatsl
according to medical authorities it was first
known in the times Of Hippocrates. or about 400
,-ss-s before the birth of Christ. The paintings
- sorne OF the Dutch masters in the sixteenth
oe,+1lrv also show that the ravages of the dis
ease did not escape their attention, as some of
she groups Of children painted by them re-
,.saI At least that some Of the children had suf-
tered with the disease.
II is estimated that the yearly number Of vic
tins of the ulalady here is several hundred and
.ra number Of fatal cases not over thirty In
7ulv the disease became Epidemic, and since
.ren over four hundred cases have been treated
A. the New York Hospital for Ruptured and
I--,nnled Children, eighty at the Vanderbilt
clinic and many at the Mount Sinai Hospital
7Isnensary and other institutions
The disease, like cerebro-spinal meningitis, has
bsf5ed medical skill for centuries. In the pres
snt endemic strenuous efforts are going to be
made by various medical societies to decide, il
-ossible whether the sickness is caused by
tnxarnia OF a nlicro-organisnl, and what is the
hest way 70 treat the patients. Owing 10 the
usually large number of cases It is expected
.bst more doctors viii have an opportunity to
s.udv the 1nalady than ever before, and that
1ber work along these lines will bring the day
nearer when the ravages Of the dcease will be
jessened. II not conquered.
The New York Neurological Society and the
branch in pediatrics Of the Academy Of Medi-
cine have appointed a committee to direct this
work DR.. Benjamin Sachs. a leading physician
Of this city, has been appointed chairman Of the
committee. The Rockefeller Institute for Medi-
cal Research. through DIR. Simon Flexner. has
already become identified with this important
task Dr.. Flexner has reported to the commit
Tee that the cerebro-spinal fluid from several
patients which he has examined IS free Of bac-
terra.
Commissioner Darlington said last night that
there was an epidemic and that the Health De
partnents attention was called 10 it week
ago The disease was now under investigation,
he said. and was discussed at meeting of the
board last Wednesday. The Commissioner also
said that his medical inspectors had been
source of the epidemic.
According to the Commissioner, the Health
Department has never recorded the disease in
its books, as it has never been determined
whether the trouble is infectious.
Dr. Max Heman of No. 943 Madison avenue,
said last night that he had heard OF over eight
hundred cases and that he knew several physi-
clan friends Of his who had treated over four
hundred cases alone in The Bronx.
The New York Medical Journal" will say to-
morrow in an editorial about the disease, IN
part follows:
AS in the case In epidemics of many other
diseases, the gamut Of symptomatoogy shows
much wider variation than that which is or
dinaEily observed. Thus, many very extensive
and rapidly fatal cases, showing the implication
Of the medullary nuclei. on the one hand, have
their counterpart in a larger number OF niid.T'
fransitory cases which end IN complete recoE-
ery-cases in which paralysis is comparatively
transient, persisting for few weeks or even
tu some cases only few days. In these latter
cases evidence is afforded OF the functional dis
turbance by hyperamia. by toXRmia, or by
other manifestations thus far little appreciated
From the clinical point OF view, the evidence
is cumulative that in many children the inltiai
symptoms present many features OF lnenlngea4
irritation. The intense headache and pain In
l..a hack Of the neck. with rlgidlty. photOphoDla
and stiff muscles have made a diagnosis from
cerebro-s spinal meningitis very difficult IN the
early stages, and in q large number OF cases
slow some cases being reported IN Whlch the
paralytic symptoms have appeared as Iate as
Tie fourth. fifth sixth or even the seventh Gay
of the disease In a large number OF chlidrell
pain has been a prominent feature, and neurltS
END rheumatism have been suspected.
The therapeutic procedures which have been
suggested do not depart from the recognized
lines Of treatment. Rest Is essentlal-hot packs,
or bor baths even prolonged ice caps, mustard
Masters 10 the spine and careful attention /"
he intestinal functions are the main rellahces'
and the experiences of the present epidemic
emphasize the futiIity Of a too early energetic
treatment Of the paralyZed limbs by massage
electricity or forced movements.
We can only emphasize the wish that the
rl,ysicIans of New York and contiguous cities
for New york is not alone in its aff1iction' CO.
oT,era+e heartily with the efforts when are
being made by the societies mentioned 10 MAKE
tro-c1oh Investigation Of this disease, which
mains and cripples SO many, not when man Is
ready TO lay his work aside, but when life mas
only just begun.
A weu known physician said last night that
eridemics usually followed epidemios Last
year cerebro-spinal meningitis was prevalent
Ee said that about seven years ago there was
an epidemic Of infantile paralysis in Pough-
keepsie