The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-31


OF considerable interest are the sug-
gestions issued by the st. Paul board
of health regarding the prevention OF
infantile paralysis.
Cases Of the disease have been re-
ported this spring and the board says
that the utmost precaution should be
exercised. Children from 1 to 5 years
are the most susceptible and the per-
centage of deaths Is from 20 to 20.
Adults are seldom attacked, but when
they contract the disease about half OF
them die In view of the serious ma
ture of the disease and the possibility,
however remote, of It's recurrence, the
board has issued the following sug-
/ gestions:
THE best preventives for children
are:
ITO watch the diet, giving only
reasonable quantities Of wholesome,
nutritious food. especially avoiding
anything likely to upset the stomach,
poor milk, unripe fruit or vegetables,
or even ripe fruit and vegetables IL
they have been exposed to dust.
ITO watch exercise, preventing any
excessive effort or fatigue, even at
play, particularly in the sun and in
hot weather
Streets Should Be Soaked.
ITO watch association with dust, es-
pecially the dust of city streets, coun-
try roads. barnyards, stables, etc. No
health measure relating to this disease
should be more rigidly enforced dur
ing this coming summer than the care
full soaking (not merely sprinkling) of
. | gN1 o~Iu al
\ open. places
ITO watch that children do not play
on streets. even after the streets are
well sprinkled Sprinkling only vets
1.-THE dust and keeps 1t from wide dis
tribution. If the germ is in the dry
dust 1T is probably in the wet dust;
and If the wet dust is tracked into the
house for creeping children to get on
/ their hands and into their mouths, the
disease may be conveyed to them.
ITO watch the childrens playmates
) and to avoid even distant association
, with other children sick with this dis
. ease or with anything resembling it;
or with the members, including adults
of families in which the disease exists
ITO watch the sick children them
selves Confine them to their own
! charges; prevent their association
} with anyone but an attendant who
does nothing but care for them; in the
case of death. allow a private funeral
only. Remember, rest as a proven
tive and treatment.
Early Treatment Important.
I'm the event of any child showing
the symptoms which are usual to the
beginning of an attack Of pollomyetitii
(fever headache, pain, constipation
vomiting) remember that while thes'
symptoms may mean nothing but {
passing disturbance, they may be tht
first stages of pollomyelitis; cali a ply
stefan at once and meantime keep thu
child quiet. If the child seems to re-
cover almost wholly in two to foul
days, do not remit watchfulness, for in
pollomyelitis the initial symptoms afte
lasting two to four days, often disap
pear for a day or two, to be followet
then by a return of the symptoms an'
paralysis. Therefore do not suppos
that the trouble is all over, when tn
fever, vomiting, headache, etc, eeas
in such cases, but rather redouble you
attention to diet, light exercise only
prevention of fatigue or excitement
exposure to sun. dust, etc, for at leas
a week If the symptoms indicate onl
a passing disturbance, these precau
tions can do no harm, while IL tn
symptoms are really the preliminar
symptoms of pollomyelitis, the rest an
care continued after they abate wi
favorably modify the subsequent at
tack, perhaps making 1t possible 70
the child to escape serious paralysi
and even death,
Repetition Of Outbreak May Occur.
/ at is likely, from the data collecteC
in many different countries and in tn
different states in this, country, tha
there will be a repetition in greater c
less degree, in Minnesota Of the out
break of last year. But history show
that the outbreaks will probably b
chiefly in districts not affected las
. year.
= las good citizens, help in ever