Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-18
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS PRE-.
PARE TO COMBAT iNFANTlLE
PARALYSIS,
ISOLATION AND DlsINFEcTloN
SUGGESTED IN EACH CASE
Only Known Means Of Preventing
Spread of Maady-Dr. Frost Con-
fident Epidemic Can Be Checked
State Board Recommends Methods Of
Disposins of Infectious Discharges.

Des Moines, Aug 1S.-Following the
meeting with physicians of the state,
the state board of health adopted a
set of rules to check the spread of the
dread infantile paralysis, which seems
to have gotten a foothold in Iowa.
The special rules laid down by the
board are as follows:
All cases OF infantile paralysis or
suspected cases shall be reported by the
attending physician or head Of the
iamily to the state board of health.
The state board of health recon-
mends the quarantine of all cases for
at least two weeks after the beginning
of the disease and the thorough dis
infection of infected premises after the
termination of the disease.
1T is a we'll established fact that
the infectious material is found in the
secretions of the nose and mouth OF
afflicted persons, and the board, there
fore, recommends the use of sprays or
gargses of 1 per cent solution of hydro
gen peroxide to prevent the further
spread of the disease. All discharges
from the patient should be disinfected
by means OF bichloride of mercury or
carbolic acid"
These rules are for the purpose of
preventing the spread of the disease in
the state. which is the only measure
the board can take, inasmuch as there
is no known cure for the illness. Ply
sicians have studied the disease for
years, but have never been able to con-
quer it.
proved that the disease is contagious,
hence the request of the state board
that all cases of the illness be isolated
and that perfect disinfection be had
following case of the disease.
The board can make no more than
request" for this isolation, for the
state quarantine laws are inadequate
in that they provide for the quaran-
| tine of certain diseases and infantile
paralysis is not among the list of quar-
antinable cases.
This fact was brought out in the
conference of the physicians and the
board in the morning by DR.. Charles E
Decker of Davenport, a member Of the
board, and may be the starting of a
movement to secure a complete re-
vision OF the state health laws at the
hands of the next general assembly.
But despite the fact that the state
board can not compel the quarantine OF
cases of the disease, yet it has appealed
to all physicians to isolate the cases
whenever possible and to impress upon
the people the necessity of SO doing.
DR.. Wade H. Frost Of Washington
D. c. the government surgeon who has
been Investigating the cases Of the dis.
case at Mason City, and probably the
best posted man on the disease now il
the state, asserted before the assembly
Of physicians that isolation was the
only way to check the epidemic.
Isolation Of all cases must be had,
said DR.. Frost. IF there is proper iso
lation 90 per cent Of the work possible
to be done in checking the spread O
| the Illness has been accomplished, pos
sibly 100 per cent
In commenting on work being don,
at Mason City where the disease il
most prevalent, DR.. Frost said thu
greatest effort was being directed
toward preventing the spread of the
disease.
| While there will be more cases." hi
said, yet / am certain that we will
succeed in checking the epidenic.''