Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-20
NO CURE IS KNOWN
InfantiIe Paralysis Must Be
Fought by Prevention.
PAPER BY DR.. FLEXNER
Describes Strange Malady Before the
Academy of Sciences.
CAUSED BY SPECIFIC GERM
Immediate Isolation of Victims Rec
commended as Best Means Of
Combating Disease.
CAUSED BY SPECIFIC GERM

The control of infantile paralysis to-
day must be by prevention, since no
specific remedy or cure for it is KNOWN
said DR.. Simon F1exner of the Rockefel-
Ter Institute of Research today before the
National Academy of Sciences. The de-
termiped effort by many states to deal
with the epidemic through prevention by
requiring notification and quarantining
was commended by DR.. Flexner.
Pointing out that 10000 cases had oc-
Cured since its appearance in epidemic
form in the United States, DR.. Ffexner
said from 10000 to $4,000 cripples had
been left by the disease. No more con-
vincing and impressive example Of the.
value Of employment of animals I'm the
elucidation of q serious and baff1ing dis
ease could be cited. he said, than the
experiments from which accurate knowl-
edge of infantile paralysis had been OBJ
tanned.
Increase in Past Three Years.
DR.. Flexner's paper, in full. follows:
The United States, in common with
many other countries, has, during the
last three or four years, been passing
through successive epIdemics of infan-
tile paralysis. The disease Is very sert-
Gus one, in that 1t causes death in from
to 10 per cent of persons affected, and
especially because II is followed by per-
manent and often severe paralysis and
Gripping in 15 or more per cent Of those
STACKED. Indeed. in respect to its per-
manent consequences 1t is one of the
seddest of diseases.
We do not possess reliable statistics
Of the number of cases of the disease
that have occurred since 1907, when
first appeared in epidemic form in the
United States. In that year no less than
1850 cases arose in and about New York
city and several hundred in and about
Boston; and since then the epidemic
waves have been moving ever farther to
the west and south, until at present
there is probably no single state that has
escaped and is not subject to still fur
ther ravages. 4 conservative estimate
disease. embraced within the epidemic at
1000 and the number of cripples left by
II as from 10000 to 1900.
Not Confined to Children.
'Infantiie paralysis is not a proper
designation for the disease, since it is by
no means confined TO infants or even to
children. While children are more FIRE.
quently attacked than adults vet the
number of adults who acquire the disease
is by no means inconsiderable.
Epidemic poliomyelitis. as IL is techni-
cally called, Is not new disease al
though epidemics are new TO this coun-
try. Within half century localized out
breaks of the disease have occurred In
this country, OF which one OF the most
important prevailed in Vermont in 1894
But never until 1907 did the disease ex-
tend so as TO affect large numbers of per-
sons or TO ravage in succession adjacent
and remote communities. Prior to this
date. the epidemics were practically con-
fined 10 Norway and Sweden where they
quarter of a century. 1t remains un-
proved. although ii is not improbable. that
the present pandemic. involving Europe
and America, is due TO the extension of
the Scandinavian epidemic.
We can now affirm with certainty that
infantiie paralysis is a disease due to a
specinc mlcro-organism, germ, that
attacks the spinal cord and, to a less ex-
tent. the brain. and by merely injurine or
totally destroying the nervous tissues
causes elthe ra temporary or permanent
paralysis of the muscles. The specific
cause. or germ, has been known for about
a year and half, since which time the
disease has been under accurate scienti-
hc investigation through transmission to
monkeys Prior to this recent period al.
most no knowledge was possessed of the
nature OF poliomyeiitis, and all our ac-
curate knowledge has been gained since
then through experiments on animals, and
probably could not have been obtained In
any other way. No more convincing and
impressive example Of the value Of the
employment of animals I'm the elucidati op
Of a serious and battling disease than this
could be cited.
1.-THE germ is very minute and is prob
ably the limits of direct human vision
II Is capable of passing through the
pores of the finest earthen filters Sew
eral important diseases Of man and the
higher animals have been shewn in re-
cent times TO be caused by such filter
able viruses. And yet in spite Of it's ex-
cessive minuteness. accurate methods ex-
list for determining the presence of the