The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-11-19
AN ALARMING DISEASE.

1--WE are up against it" said DR.. Robertson at
the great medical convention held at the Mercy
hospital Chicago, last week, "the medical profess
sion of the world is baffled by the scourge of in
fantile paralysis and we cannot learn anything
from analysis, or diagnose the disease"
When doctors acknowledge that there is much
mystery surrounding the cause, nature and charac-
ter of infantile paralysis, let not laymen attempt
to fathom it. Infantile paralysis is not new dis
ease cases seventy years old are record and for
these years the disease has occurred intervals
the eastern states Its similarity in certain stages
to typhoid and in others to spinal meningitis has
rendered diagnosis difficult. 1t is only in the past
three four years. however, that epidemcs of this
mysterious disease have invaded our country and
alarmed doctors and whole communities.
In 1907 there outbreak in New York
state, resulting in $500 cases. In the past five
years there have not been fewer than 5000 cases
in the United States, most of them fatal. 1t is
said that these epidemics cease with the first stiff
frost; but they are likely to break out the fol
lowing summer, there would appear to be good rea-
son to suppose the germs to be merely inactive in
but not exterminated, by intense cold.
The disease is mildly contagious, and where it is
known to exist a strict quarantine is enforced.
curious feature of infantile paralysis is that the
epidemic cases much less deadly than the spo-
radio isolated Ones and the reason for this med
zeal men tell us, is that the micro-organism weak
ems as it passes from one patient to another.
Dr. Pisek, Chicago physician who has been
closely studying the disease wrote article on
this strange paralysis sometime ago, and advised
limo of hat c foil hIr
eminent physicians. Upon the theory that the pa
tient is really suffering from blood poisoning, the
first step towards cure, DIR. Pisek informs us, is
to eliminate if possible the toxic element disease
poison) from the system To this end he advises
saline purgatives with daily not baths. In the IN
ervas of treatment the patient should be disturbed
as little as possible In the epidemic cases an i'm
provement takes place which is likely to result in
complete recovery, but, unfortunately, in the so-
lated cases, this treatment fails, for the third
fourth month usually finds the victims disease sta
tionary, and the paralysis ends in death.
On re-reading Dr. Pisek's article, learn that
after the saline treatment open air and nourish-
ing diet are the chief factors in convaesence. He
strong advocate of massage to restore the sunken
muscles to their normal functions. 1t must be
added, however, that another school of medical
experience insists that absolute rest essential to
complete recovery. The fact that upon such vital
point this these high authorities should so fatty
differ shows how little the disease is understood
At the present time appeal is in circulation
from the Rockefeller Institute among physicians
asking them send portions of the spinal cord of
fatal cases to the Investigators at the great New
York laboratory. No important and sincere
research work is being done anywhere than that
undertaken to solve the problem of infantile
paralysis.