The midland journal., 1911-10-27

A physician only put the patient In condF
tion to weather the storm as well as possible.
But while little can be done after the disease
has developed. careful parents can do much to
prevent their children from taking the malady.
The childrens noses can be kept clean. Dr. Fiex-
ner regards this as most important. Also. certain
disinfectants, II used mouth and HDse WASH
during the summer danger period. are effective.
one per cent. solution of hydrogen peroxide Will
kill the germ Of infantile paralysis. So will
plain menthol. Each OF these statements Is made
upon the authority of Dr. Flexner
Yet the germ that causes infatnile paralysis Is
more virulent than the germ of rabies DIR. Flex-
ner discovered that the paralysis germ could not
even be weekend by drying it for weeks over
caustic potash nor by keeping 1t frozen for weeks.
But hydrogen peroxide and menthol kill it.
Dr. Flexner is now and has been for some time
conducting experiments to learn whether flies
carry the germs and spread the disease. He has
already definitely learned that flies do carry the
germs but he has not demonstrated that the
germs, when carried. get into the system and
Z produce the disease.
Infantie paralysis came to this country from
Scandinavia. Prior to 1907 1t had seldom occurred
here Since then 1t has been epidemic from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. New York and Boston.
where so many immigrants gather, have suffered
most Minnesota to which so many Scandinavians
remove. comes next The disease fourishes dur
ing hot, dry summers. 1t is sort OF a sister
disease of cerebrospinal meningitis and. years
ago, was probably often mistaken tor that disease.
conspicuous point Of difference is that the for
mer malady comes in late winter or early spring.
while infantile paralysis comes In summer. In
fantile paralysis is most likely to attack children
less than four years old. though adults are not
immune. But attack most likely makes the
subject immune for life. Dr. Flexner's expert
ments upon monkeys indicate as much
But. barking back to the causes OF preventabie
deaths of children, this much more may be said
Mothers are too prone to buy medicine from doc
tors and not enough given to buying information
from them. Mothers who do not know how to
care for their children should not wait until
child is sick and then call the doctor to dose the
child. They should call the doctor when the
child Is well and pay him his regulation fee for
sitting down half hour and instructing them
with regard to the care of the child. Most mothers
need Information more than their children need
medicine Doctors. when called. often give harm
less medicine. when none Is needed. simply be-
cause the public feels that 1t must have something
for its money. The public is not wise enough
to know that 1t can spend its money in no better
way than to buy certain information that tends
toward the maintenance Of health. Diarrhea. for
instance, which kills more babies. perhaps than
any other single cause. IS solely disturbance
of the digestive tract due to wrong feeding MIX
containing thirty-seven million bacteria to the
cubic centimeter-or even million-will cause It.
Cows milk not properly modified is certain to
upset the stomachs of infants. A half-hour with
a good physician will enable mother to get in
formation that may prevent her child from sicken-
ing and dying
In the meantime. the responsibility for the
avoidable deaths of children must largely rest
with the few who. knowing how to take care OF
their own, do not for one reason or another, take
effective measures to pass this knowledge to
others few men control every government
national. state and municipal These men. II they
wanted to. could compel government to dissent
nate the vast amount OF information concerning
the prevention of infant mortality. France moved
when her tirth-rate became low that she had
to move. When children become scarce govern
ments are sometimes as careful OF their health as
they are at other times of the health OF hogs.