The Washington herald., 1912-07-14

I Paralysis is due to the attack Of the
disea Sc on the spinal cord, which. in the
! acute stages is swollen and filled with
| blood. The section controlling the motor
nerves is IN part destroyed by the prog
ress Of the disease OF the recognized
cases. it has been found that seventy
1 five per cent Of those who have survived
| have been left with some paralysis.
Only since the spread OF the disease
| in 1893 has any great amount of research
work been done on 1t In this country or
abroad. OF the laboratory part, while
much work has been done at the Hy-
/ gienic Laboratory here. the Pasteur In
stitute In Paris and in the laboratories
In Vienna and Germany. Experiments
have proven that the disease is germ
disease and esaily transferable from man
to monkey. In some cases IL has been
possible to infect rabbits, but the great
est success has been found with monkeys
As the monkey is most closely associated
to man in the matter OF susceptibility
to the same diseases. it IS believed from
this to be largely a disease of human
infection. The germ is what Is known
as a filterable virus. one which is not
caught by the finest meteorological filter
and which cannot be identified with any
degree of certainty under the microscope.
The disease cannot be identified salts
ia actorily with cultures, and for this rea-
son the laboratory work must be carried
out with animal experiments.
Some idea Of how the disease may be
transmitted is gained from the finding
OF il In the tonsils and lung membranes
and the secretions of the nose. In some
cases II has been found possible to in
feet monkeys with the disease by rub
bing the virus into the nose or by feed
ing IL into the stomach.
\ report on the disease following a
close study of all its features by DIR.
w. II. Frost, OF the Public Health Serv-
ice; DR.. II. W. Hill, Minnesota State
Board OF Health, and Dr. Samuel g.
Dixon, Pennsylvania State Board Of
Health, recommends the following pre-
ventive measures based on the assumj-
tion that the disease is directly trans
mtss!ble from person to person.
Preventive Measures.
First. Isolation and screening of all
patients known TO have or suspected OF
having the disease 1t is recommended
that this isolation be not postponed rutiI
paralysis develops. which may not be
until after the fifth or sixth day. A
period Of three weeks OF isolation is
suggested.
| Second. Disinfection OF all discharges
from patients, and all articles used by
them and their attendants
Third FumigatiOn Of the premises with
fOrmaldehyd upon release from isola-
ton.
Fourth. While stating that a Quaran-
tine of persons in contact with patients
does not seem justified, the recommen-
dation is made that members OF patients
families be excluded from schools dur
ing the isolation and during the pos
sible incubation period of the new case.
Fifth. For the protection of persons
in contact with patients, and In COM
munities where the disease is epidemic
| the daily administration of heNamethy-
llanamin Is recommended. Children mag
| be protected by greater care for the gas
! tro-!ntestinal tract and by avoiding over
eNeTttOn in hot weather.
Referring TO these recommendations.
| the report says, IN part:
The disease IS already widespread
| throughout the country, and experience
with other infectious diseases has shown
, the difficulties which beset the eradlca-
, ton of widespread endemic infectious
disease by quarantine alone. Finally. it
| will be difficult to estimate the efficiency
| Cf preventive measures, since II is i'm
possible to foretell the extent TO which
| the disease is liable to spread in any
| community without the restrictive meas
ures."