Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-05

Editorial Note-The lives and bodies
menaced by a terrible disease-infant
about five years ago. Since then 1t ha
tered communities. A hundred th0usal
1905. OF whom probably two in every
pied. What il known Of this friHhtful
turnout the country. IL told by DIR. Mai
ming was secretary Of the West Wisco
charge OF the work of stamping out tn
the methods for prevention and the be
contagion. The article Is of copyright
printed from the December number Of
special permission1.
A mothers grief for her dead child
is tragic, yet we know that the kindly
alchemy Of Time will transmute that
pain into q sad memory. But what of
the mother to whom every dawn brings
Il new anguish. woe upon which Time
has no compassion? What Of the
child left forever deformed and disabled
by the scourge Of infantile paralysis
that is spreading with alarming rapid
ity over the United States? What of
the misery of an expanding mind in a
world for which the body is unit?
This disease, infantile spinal paraly-
sis, has prevailed in epidemic form in
the United States during the past four
summers. In 1907 It swept the North
Atlantic seaboard. In 1908 Wisconsin
was visited by an epidemic Of five hun.
dred cases reported by me. The Mas.
sachusetts epidemic of 923 cases in 1909
was reported by DR.. Robert Lovett, Of
Boston. Pennsylvania has reported 500
cases for the summer OF 1910. Rhode
Island. Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas.
Nebraska, Kansas. Washington and
Idaho-all have paid fearful toll, while
other states have not been exempt.
Statistics are difficult to get as the
disease has been placed but latedly on
the reportable side by the boards OF
health OF the most seriously menaced
states. A conservative estimate from
authoritative sources places the mini
mum number Of cases since 1905 at
100000. There are from 10000 to q, 900
cases in the United States at present.
OF every hundred cases fifteen resulted
in death. ten completely recovered and
sixty or more were left with permanent
paralysis OF one or more limbs. This
means that six or seven children in ev-
cry ten attacked by the disease are
doomed to go thru the years without
the conf lete use Of their bodies, small
percentage with both legs unless some
with leg or an arm withered. some
with feet dubbed and misshapen-but
all handicapped In some degree for the
race Of life.
The commonly used name OF this
maiady. infantile paralysis, states the
pathetic fact that fifty per cent Of its
victims are children under six years
old. As, however, the remaining cases
range in age from seven years to more
than seventy. the common name for the
disease is inaccurate.
Infantile paralysis has been confused
with cerebro- spinal meningitis They
are entirely separate and distinct dis
eases.
What Infantils Paralysis 10.
Physicians have given the disease a
name so exact that it is to the medi-
the nature and course OF the malady-
epidemic acute anterior poliomyelitis.
1t 10 an Inflammation of the nerve cells
in the gray matter Of the spinal cord,
which begins suddenly. is followed by
a paralysis OF the muscles controlled by
the nerve cells attacked. and may be
transmitted TO any member Of COM
munity It has once invaded.
The inflam nation which DESTROYS the
nerve cells in the spinal cord is caus-
ed by germ coming from another vic
tim OF the same disease. This germ,
which is as easily acquired as the germ
or diphtheria, and more readily than
the bacillus OF typhoid fever. most
frequently passes into the system thru
the moist lining Of the nose and mouth.
1t works Its way into this soft tissue
travels thru the blood stream to the
nerve cells Of the spinal cord, and be-
gins its work Of destruction,
These nerve cells in the spinal cord
are the relay stations thru which the
brain sends messages to move the
muscles in the arms. legs. and else
where all over the body. The cells are
arranged in groups and each group
controls certain particular set Of
muscles. When any group or relay sta
ton 10 out Of order it Is Impossible for
the brain message to go thru to that
particular set Of muscles. When the
germs of this disease attack a group of
these nerve cells. the muscle group de-
pendent on that cell group for power is
paralyzed. If the nerve cells are COM
pletely destroyed the resultant paraly-
sis Will be permanent; II they are only
injured, nature will make the neces.
sary repairs and the paralysis will dis
appear.
what - this as yet unnamed germ
1t has been isolated and the disease has
been transmitted to monkeys. Drs.
Landsteiner and Pepper accomplished
this IN Vienna, in 1908. and Drs. Simon
Flexner and Paul A. Lewis, in New
York, In 1909. Other investigators
have also isolated 1t. Drs. Dandsteiner
and Pepper declare to be a protozoon
Of the lowest form OF animal life. DR.. i
Allen Smith, director OF the school of
tropical diseases Of the University of
Pennsylvanta, agrees with this opinion, |
and hs announced in October that the |
protozoa had been found in the blood |
OF victims OF the disease.
Drs. F1exner and Lewis stated that
the germ was too small to be seen thru
any miscroscope lens yet devised, and
they classed It with other hlterable |
viruses.
1nfantile paralysis comes on the the
victim within from one to fourteen
days days after exposure to infection.
The drst symptoms may not be dis
tinct, altho usually there is a slight |!
running at the nose. An extreme ten
derness along the spine and OF the |
limbs Is noticeable, the use of the !
muscles NAV hA imnafrAd and than "a i