The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-04-25
THE PARALYSIS
Germ is FOUND
Scientists Now Trying TO Isolate
the Deadly Growth.
RESULTS OF NUMEROUS TESTS

Microscopic Examination of the Blood
of Monkeys and Humans Reveals an
Organism Not Found In the Blood
of Healthy Persons or Animals-D'.
Dixon's Discovery.
Samuel Dixon, secretary of the Penn"
sylvania board of health. explains in
detail what is believed to be the dis
covery of the micro-organism which
causes infantile paralysis. Dr.. Dixon
does not definitely assert that he has
found the germ. but he has found an
organism in the blood of persons and
animals which are afflicted with the
disease and the organism does not ap-
pear in the blood of normal persons or
animals and it is not described in any
Of the treatises Of germs.
Infantile paralysis has been epidemic
for two years. Scientists are working
hard to isolate the germ which causes
the disease and to work out a treat
ment to prevent or cure it Thus far
no cure has been discovered and the
germ has not been entirely isolated.
The discovery of DR.. Dixon is a great
advance, and it may lead to the dis
covery of the cause and treatment
for the disease.
Found New Organism.
DR.. Dixon says:
"In examining the blood from acute
cases of poliomyelitis Qnfantile paral-
ysis) in human beings and also in mon
keys, In which the disease was pro
duced experimentally, an organism was
found, different in morphologic charac
ter from any heretofore described,
which may or may not on further in
vestigation prove to be the Geological
factor in the causation of the disease.
Blood smears being fixed i'll methyl-
alcohol for one minute and stained
with carbol-thioin, the organism APP
pears as family stained blue rod,
with regular cell wall about ten mi
erons long and about eight-tenths of
micron in width, curved at an angle of
sixty to seventy-five degrees at one end,
occasionally at both ends. At times the
curved end is dubious. Some Of the
organisms appear to have a very finely
granular protoplasm when the highest
amplifcation is employed
None Found In Healthy Blood.
DR.. Dixon describes the microscopes
which gave the best results in the ex-
animation. Continuing, he says:
1.-THE bloods examined were from
ten different cases of acute poliomye-
Tits in children and were taken dur
ing the epidemic of last summer and
from thirteen cases of the disease in
the acute stage which had been pro-
duced experimentally in as many
monkeys.
.'Blood smears from three normal
human beings were carefully exam
ined. and, although the search for
these organisms was diligently made,
none was found. Smears were made
from the blood of thirteen normal
monkeys with negative results. After
incubation with the virus these same
monkeys give positive results.
''Smears from the cords and brains
OF paralyzed monkeys and from one
human case were examined, but none
of the organisms was found. Defbri-
mated blood three weeks to two
months old from two paralyzed mon
keys showed the forms in increased
numbers. Cultures made from the
blood of a paralyzed monkey in va
rious forms, examined after being in
oculated three weeks, showed the pres
enee of the organism in increased
numbers. Success in isolating the or
ganisms has not attended our efforts
as yet"