Imperial Valley press., 1912-12-20
InfantIIe PARALYSIS

New York sun: lnfantlle paralysis
has inspired terror in the hearts OF
anxious parents because of its appar-
emily inscrutablc nature, its obscure
mode of dissemination and its resis-
tance to curative measures. 1t is graf
flying, therefore, to report that some
of the highest authorities now elimi-
nate cOntagiOn as factor in its causa-
ton. DR.. NJ. J. RoSenau. the profeS
sor Of preventive medicine in Harvard
university; Charles I. DfueS, i-.Struc-
tor in economic entomology, and DR..
Mark w. Richardson. secretary of the
board of health of Massachusetts. are
authority for this conclusion. These
gentlemen acknowledge that in their
early Investigations they had been mis-
led in regarding the disease as spread
ing from person to person, chiefly
through the nasal SecretionS, as is
claimed for cerebral spinal meningitis.
Later and more extensive observations
showed little or no tendency Of the dis
case to spread in crowded districts,
schools, asylums and camps, and that
1t really prevails more in isolated and
,parsely settled districts. A striking
resemblance between the peculiarities
of the virus of infantile paralysis and
that Of rabies or hydrOphobia had been
often noted in laboratories. DR.. Rosen-
au was led by previous observations
while studying yellow fever infection,
before and after the discovery of the
mosquito as the cause of the latter, TO
tie idea Of tracing the source Of in
fantile paralysis to a possible wound
infection:
"All the various reasons that in
fluence us in turning from contagiOn
TO some other mode of transference
need not engage our attention now
for the history of this part of the work
has been ably and accurately given by
DR.. Richardson. In justice to DR.. Rich
ardsOn we desire to state that all the
essential conclusions of his paper were
arrived at before he knew Of the re-
suits in the laboratory with the mon
keys.
THE work which we now briefly
desire to report consists in exposing
monkeys during all stages Of the dis
ease to the bites of StomoXyS calcit-
rams. The monkeys We're infected in
tliC douoi way ~ uii
Of a known virus obtained from human
sources into direct association with the
central nervous system. After the
flies had had abundant opportunity tC
bite these infected monkeys during the
various stages of the disease, includ-
ing the period of incubation, healthy
monkeys We're exposed to the bites OF
these same flies. OF 12 healthy mon
keys indications of the disease have
been obtained in six, three Of them in
a virulent form, resulting in death, the
other three with transient tremblings
partial paralysis, diarrhOea and recov
cry.
''In conclusion, we desire simply to
summarize the fact that we have ap
parently transferred the virus of pO-
liomyelitis (infantile paralysis from
monkey to monkey through the bite Of
the stable fly. We would like to EN-
phasize the fact that this does not ap-
pear to be simpl! mechanical trans
ference, but rather a biological one,
requiring a period Of eXtrinsic incu-
baton in the intermediate host"
This is precisely the method of
transmission Of the infection in malari-
al and yellow fever. The patient in
vestigatiOns of these practical scientists
have removed the most dreaded feat.
'Hre~Of infantile paralysis, contagious
ness: and they have cleared the way
TO IIbetter understanding Of preven-
tffn, a matter far more mOmentOuS
than the discovery of any new treat
ment. The Zoophiles, maudlin lovers
Of animals, may deplore the sacrifice
Of their precious monkey ancestors,
but the human people will rejoice in
the results obtained and pay deserved
tribute to the patient laboratory tOilers.