The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-02-09
MADE A TEST ON MONKEYS
NOW SAID CAUSE OF INFANTILR
PARALYSIS is DISCOVERED.
experiments Show Base of Dread
Disease Is in Spinal Cord. Not
in Blood as Thought.


NEW YORK. The Rockefeller In
stitute, it is reported, will soon is
sue a bulletin stating that infantile
paralysis, which became an epidemic
in this city and other portions of
the country last fall, is an infectious
disease of the spinal cord. The de-
termining of the nature of the dis
ease is regarded as the first step:
the next will be to find the vaccine.
Infantile paralysis is comparative-
~ new disease, the table of cases
reported in New York city indicating
us increased strength. In Kansas it
became an epidemic last fall in a
number of counties and the state
board of health turned it's inyesti
gazing laboratory over to an investi-
CATION Of the new dread of child
mood. The fatalities reported do not
properly Indicate the ravages of the
disease, as majority of the victims
who lived through the attack were
left cripples apparently for life.
Physicians Greatly EIated.
What has been accomplished under
the direction of DR.. Simon FIexner.
director of the Rockefeller institu
ton, will doubtless revolutionize the
treatment of the disease. Until now
its nature has been almost a com
plete riddle to scientists.
Physicians who have learned os
the result of the experiments at the
Rockefeller Institute spoke enthusi-
astically yesterday on the subject
1T has now been made possible
TO look for a cure for this most in
ssdlous and most cruel disease" said
Dr. Charles l.. Dana, professor of
nervous diseases of the Cornell Med
zeal College, and formerly president
OF the New York Academy of Medi-
cine. Further experiments should
bring the same success in conquer
ing infantile paralysis, as has al
ready been accomplished in the
study of cerebral meningitis and dip
iberia"
Answer to Vivisection Protest.
What should result from these
experiments is vaccine for infantile
paralysis, said DR.. William H. Park.
professor of bacteriology and hygiene
IN New York University and Bellevue
Hospital College, and also director of
the research laboratories of the New
York City Health Department.
Again, it has been proven that de-
spite the cry of the vivisectionists
the only way to rid mankind of it's
most fearful disease is through ami
NAL experimentation"
The first tests in the Rockefeller
laboratories in the investigation in
to the infant paralysis discovered
that it was not blood disease. The
blood of children afflicted with the
allment wa transfused into the veins
OF monkeys and other animals with
out causing any infection. This con-
clusiyely disposed of one theory to
which many physicians have ciung
ever since the first notable outbreak
OF the disease in this city in the
summer of 1899.
A portion of the spinal cord of
child which had died from infan-
tile paralysis was then transplanted
in the upper end of the vertebra of
monkey. Almost Immediately the
animal fell ILL., It's legs began to
shrivel, and it grew more and more
helpless, just as child does when
seized by the disease.
Vaccine Not Yet Found.
On the death of member afiict-
ed with infant paralysis its brain and
spinal tissues were studied under
powerful microscopes for the purpose
Of discovering a distinctive microbe.
None was found. Further experi-
ments, however, showed that some
germlnal agent existed in the ner-
Yous membranes, and although toe
small for the microscope it was not
actively infectious.
AS soon as a bit of the spinaI coll
umn Of one paralyzed monkey was
transferred to another that monkey
/ invariably fell ill., Thereupon. the
Investigators began to try for vac
cine, which might be used to pro-
duce an antitOXin for the disease as
is used for diptheria As vet no
specific remedy has been found. but
SO much knowledge of the hitherto
unknown nature of the disease was
obtained that the discovery of a cure
is confidently expected.
"Infantile paralysis afflicts chill
dren almost always in the first tive
| years OF life" said DIR. James Ew-
ing, head pathologist in the Cornell
Medical College. 1T comes suddenly
and Unexpectedly. 1t af1icts both
the rich and the poor. 1t is relent-
less in it's cruelty, TRANSFORMING a
cnIlu mat formerly appeared in per-
pie" - - +p