The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-10-27

A physician can only put the patent ID SO-1A
tion TO weather the storm as well as possible.
But while little can be done after the disease
has developed careful parents do much 10
prevent their children from taking the malay
The chidren's noses can be kept clean Dr REX
ner regards this as most important Also. certain
dsinfectants if used as q mouth and nose WASH
during the summer danger period, are effective.
A one per cent solution OF hydrogen peroxide VIII
Kill the germ OF infantile paralysis. So Will
plain uenthol 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 Dr. Flex-
ner discovered that the paralysis germ could not
even be weekend by drying IL for weeks over
caustc potash. nor by keeping 1t frozen for weeks
But hydrogen peroxide and menthol Kill il.
DR. Flexner is now and has been Tor some time
conducting experiments 10 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
produce the disease
Infantile paralysis came 10 this country from
Scandinavia Prior 10 1907 it had seldom occurred
here Since then il has been epidemic from the
Atlantic 10 the Pacific New York and Boston,
where so many immigrants gather. have suffered
most Minnesota. TO which so many Scandnavians
remove. comes next The disease fourishes dur
ing not, dry summers. 1t is sort OF sister
disease OF cerebrospinal meningitis and. years
ago was probably often mistaken for that disease.
A conspicuous point OF difference is that the for
mer malady comes in late winter or early spring.
while infsntile paralysis comes in summer In
fantile paralysis is most likely 10 attack children
less than four years old. though adults are not
immune But one attack most likely makes the
subject immune for life DR. F1exner's expert
ments upon monkeys indicate as much
Bur, barking back to the causes OF preventabie
deaths of children, this much more may be said
Mothers are prone 10 buy medicine from doc'
tors and not enough given 10 buying Information
from them Mothers who do not know how 10
care for their children should not wait until
child IS sick and then call the doctor 10 dose the
child They should call the doctor when the
child is well. and pay him MS regulation Zee Tor
sitting down half an hour and instrueting them
with regard 10 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 II must have something
for It's money. The public is not wise enough
10 know that II spend its money In no better
way than 10 buy certain information that TENDS
toward the maintenance Of health Darrnea Tor
instance. which kills more babies. perhaps. than
any other single cause is solely a disturbance
OF the digestive tract due to wrong feeding MILK
containing thirty-seyen million bacteria TO the
cubic centimeter-or even million-will cause IL
Cows milk not properly modified is certain 10
upset the stomacns OF lhlaHts n haA-noui ~ien
a good physician will enable mother 10 get in
formation that may prevent her child from scken-
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 on this knowledge TO
others few men control every government
national state and municipal These men, II tney
wanted to- could compel government TO dissent
nate the vast amount OF information concerning
the prevention OF infant mortality. France moved
when her hirth-rate became so low that she had
to move When children become scarce. govern
ments are sometimes careful Of their health as
they are at other times OF the health OF hogs