New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-07
DISEASE BAlKS SCIENCE
InfantiIe PARALYSIS Cannot Be
Cured as Yet.
DIR. FLExNER GIVES IDEAS
Saws Infection Can Come from
Animals, and Urges Study
of Transmission.

Albany. Aug S-No treatment so far as
is known. which can be regarded rs specinc
or even effective has been found In dealing
With infantile paralysis. according 10 Dr.
simon Flexner Of New York. who has been
making a special study NJ the disease. the
state Department Of Health announced TO
dav. In a conference here of medical ON
GERS under the auspices Of the department
Dr Flexner gave the following views IN
discussing infantiie paralysis
Indications already seem unmistakaDle
and noint 10 a recurrence Of the disease this
year our greatest concern Is To determine
how and under what circumstances tne uls
ease is spread. II is easily trsns iillI M, a. a.,
from animals 10 man. and Is more fatal III
animals than in man. one attack. however
light appears 10 establish an immunity
against a second attack. II Is due 10 SpeS
cifc micro-organism. the propagaIi'pn , W -
which in the body appears 10 prlng ABOUT
reaction establishing an immunity:
Until we can succeed in determining now
this disease is transmitted we cannot eX-
nect 70 accomplish Its prevention. IL Ia
r,erv iuportant to determine whether or not
animals might suffer primarily from inns
/ disease Should they 40 suffer. the disease
could be transmitted TO monkeys ann t ImS
true character Of the disease demonstrated
II is possihle that this disease may he trans
ritted by insects. and the fiy and the mos
Guito would ne most quickly suspecteG ol
I
fed on the spinal cord Of a monkey ma.
has died from this disease have been known
n he able 10 transmit the same disease 10
other monkeys. - -. - no
from, three TO thirtv-three DAYS Four
weeks is supposed 10 be The period OF IN
| Righteousness of the disease after Wnlch 10 II u
not thought that infection enanates M NJ
| tho case The source of entrance or inc
/ germs NJ this disea SO appears 70 he through
I the upper air passages. especially me nos
II would also appear That the most p Iuu
! bic means Of exit or thls germ - u"
I the nose and throat
! During 1910 800 cases Of Jnfantile paralysis
/ IN fortv-nine counties we're reported 10 me
state Department Of Health. This shows a
wide distribution Of the disease. with no
apparent relation to any central focus The
disease. however. has been most prevalent
| in certain rather definitely limited areas
| namely. in the counties bordering on the
| g.. Lawrence River and in the area bound
ed on the north by Lake Ontario south
by PENNSYLVANIA. east by lire drawn
| south from the eastern end OF Lake on
| tario. and on the west by Monroe. LAV-
| inzston and Cattaraugus counties. In 1911
the cases along the Hudson River were
mostly north OF Poughkeepsie. which city
however. reported no cases Twenty-tnree
D
cases were reported from Schenectady
! Dr. Victor - Heiser, OF the United states
/ Public Health and Marine Hospital serv-
/ ice. I'm discussing cholera in the same con-
| ference. gave the following views
During the last nine years there have
/ been two hundred thousand cases or
cholera in the Philippine Islands the
! disease is most always conveyed BY human
beings and not through vegetables. stil,
proper inspection Of vegetable and FOOD
I products from cholera infected sections Is
hsOlutelv necessary.
Wherever cholera Is prevalent all fruits
candies cigars vegetables and other prod
/ ucts used in the family should be carefully
screened all waters should be boiled. milk
/ should be boiled, unless absolutely known
! 10 be pure, and a systematic plan OF eau
cation Of the public should he carried on
TO encourage cleanliness of the people
Dirty hands are probabl one Of the great
est means OF transmitting this disease from
one 70 another. The hands should be
washed before every meal or before eating