Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-06

nrAxrnE PARALYSIS.
The Pible saws there is nothing new
under the sum-" but i am certain never
heard anything OF infantile paralysis
until a few months ago
have not seen any child 10 whom the
doctors have ascrfbed the disease, but
have seen several persons VINO are
familiar with IL, and one mother who TOTO
me she was carrying her child regularly
10 a specialist in Atlanta 10 De Nreaseu.
now remember two boys whose rect
are deformed. and the malformauoh
came on when they were very young.
hut their Hliterats mother said they
"a the fever and the fever fell in their
feet
one hobbies along and his foot ana
lax flv out windlass fashion. ana the
other one cannot get his heel TO the
ground at all
now suppose they were victims OF
tnfantiIe paralysis and had vitahty sur
acient TO recover their normal condition
save as to their feet
so / have become curious TO KNOW
something more OF infantile PARALYSIS
and the learned doctors give astonish-
ing ACCOUNTS not only OF its fatality, Out
Of its catching or infectious qualities
A late article in HamptOn's Magazine
saws the Infection came from sweden
and Norway and became violently cpl
demic I'm wisconsin. and in Nebraska last
summer s9e cases Of marked cases were
found 49,
4, the summer OF 1907 there were $500
weIl-marked cases in New York city.
As early as 1884 the village OF Rut-
t.na w had Ia6 cases and as Tar
haek as ls4l. a Louisiana phyStcian found
an epidemic of infantile paralysis In this
far southern state
statistics have become so alarming
INT n
for this insidious and fatal disease
n Is said TO begin with a running at
the nose. a headache and stiff neck
Rus ike typhoid fever mild case
nav. soon become virulent and highly IN
fictitious
In bad cases there is great nervous
ness and tenderness about the hips and
spine.
ming often too quick 10 count. Inc TEN
rerature ranges from 100 to 107 T.
We All understand that los is consid-
ered a highly dangerous temperature Tor
ANYBODY Paralysis follows in y hours
. and in fatal cases death comes from inc
third TO the fifth day.
Records from a board % health offiee
showed that Is died very soon out OF
each 100 patients. 10 recovered completely
and the rest came out with some sort or
r-,alforr,atfon or MANNED for life Some
had withered arms. many had ciuooeu
and misshapen feet
O.,r various surgical institutes may be
indebted to infantile paralysis Tor the
most OF its patients wi.k nnisshaIen
limbs. and infantile paralysis may be
the cause OF nearly all the club Feet
that we have been seeing in passing
years.
had once a little cousin. who was
and died in two or three days time
The nurse had been in the habit Of roll
ing the child in his baby carriage along
the street for fresh air and exercise The
little ones quick death was set down TO
q fan and TO the nurses careless hand
ing. but as I read OF infantile paralysis
Cat this late day. the disease can have
that and much more credited 10 its IA
tality- The question is so vital that par
ticular attention should be given 70
ehiId's condition. when its nose begins to
run ana complains of headache and a
stir neck. That stiff neck Is the OBJ
iective point, because the spinal cord
JOINS to the base Of the brain. and any
amount Of suffering may result from
slight injury at that point
The disease IS said to be communicated
BY germ. a bacillus, an infectious
thing. that can even be conveyed in
letter II can be passed on TO another
BY a drinking cup. and gets a Judgment
in the tender tissues of the nose, the
mouth and throat II terminates inside
Of IL days. and does its work very de-
cIsfxely. Hampton's Magazine gives the
picture Of a lovely little girl who has
recovered her health. but she has not
been able to walk or stand upright, al
though she was III two years ago.
It seems to attack male children most
". and the larger number of deaths Oc-
cur before they are years old, but
some persons at the age OF 20 have
shown unmistakable symptoms.
heard a learned doctor say many
years ago that paralysis always meant
death in life, and. however long life
might be prolonged, IL was ever the be-
ginning OF the end
Every one who has lived to old age
can remember hearing the old saying;
HE Tor she) had had two strokes, the
third viii take him on"
The germ theory IN medicine is a
late discovery, but nearly every disease
seems TO have a germ nowadays, and
the learned scientists tell US that infan-
tile paralysis is as readily transmitted
as the germ OF diphtheria- There seems
TO be a sort Of a worm TO invade every
human life. and the Bible tells us that
after death worms shall destroy this
body" Watch out for infantile paraly-
sis!
GIVE AN OPINION
SALEM. Ala. Nov Is. 1910.
Dear Mrs Felton, Having been sub
scriber OF The Atlanta Semi-Weekly