Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-22


should be exceedingly careful a this dis
ease is as often infectious rs dphtheria'
scarlet fever or smallpox. Typhoid vac
cines are now generally used. This pro-
cedure has been the means of eliminating
typhoid fever from the armies of the
world Vermont is interested In the va
cation business. as we wish to cultivate
IT. Typhoid prevention is n matter of ma
tcria pecuniary concern to us.
Following the meeting at the high
school the state laboratory of hygiene on
Church street was busy place. The
health officers visited there to attend dem
constructions Of the work carried on. Din
ner was served to the visiting physicians
from u to two at the Hotel Vermont.
INFANTIIE PARALYSIS.
The afternoon session was given over
to infantile paralysis. a topic of especial
interest to Vermont health officers at
this time There were two addresses
during the afternoon, DR.. Harold l.
Amoss of the Rockefeller institute at
New York discussing the "uology ana
pathology of the disease. The Diagnosis
Treatment and Prevention of lnfantle
Paralysis" vas the subject of an ad-
dress delivered ny Or. Francis r. Fraser
of the department of medicine OF the
| PRESBYTERIAN hospital at New York.
Dr. Amoss in his address gave much
technical information VI especial interest
I To physicians. He told of the history of
/ the disease. which is by no means a
new one, but ono which has been
recognized for some time. The best
contributions to the solving of the prob
! lem have been contributed during an
| epidemic Of the disease or soon after
| one. Studies have proven that the acute
stage OF poliomYelitis is the important
one and not the paralytic stage, as
heretofore has been supposed The dis
ease seems to be one of cortagion, and
so-called abortive cases, whore the
patient may not be i'll enough to b'
confined or. If confined, may not b,
paralyzed, are just as dangerous as tc
spreading the disease as those where
complete paralysis arc found. The only
animal which has been so far dsCovcreC
which will carry the disease is thu
monkey. and this Is a prominent poin
in the history of the disease, for j
dogs cats. horses or other animals wcr
able to carry the disease II would meal
a much more widespread epidemic. Thu
disease germ has been discovered and i
so tiny that it may pass through un
glazed porcelain. 1t is easily killed h,
heat but will resist freezing and no
all antiseptics will kill it. Study IS nov
being made as to how the disease /
transferred from human to human, tn
germ being found on the nasal mucos
and after once placed there 1t is To
late 30 stop its progress. Or Lovet'
: with tho aid of a stereopticon, shove
number of clinical pictures. eXplainn
$ laboratory tests used IN the study Of III
/ disease.
l DIR. Fraser, in simple language. eX
/ planned the progress of the diseas
K A very brief part of his interestin
e address follows:
e Severe epdemics OF infantile pal
t alysis occur in small areas and I'll
e following year cases appear perhar
not in the same location but whei
$ there have not been many cases II
d year before. This would lead to II
= belief that 1he bad area the first yea
= had become exhausted and so the We
II mont state board decided measures
y precaution must be taken. In ord
to take proper precautions the cau'
s. must he found The term infant
Is records kept in Vermont It is show
l. that there were 81 cases among chi
J. dren from one to two years of ag
re SIS from two to five. 75 from five
l. ten, GO from 10 to 20 and only 81 cas-
whore the patient was over 90 yea
Of age. 1t affects children of any s
p cial conditions and it is more fr
in qucntly found descending upon one
healthy condition than upon a sick
IN person. Records show that 10 cas-
lie fell on persons in excellent health,
n were in good health and only IS r
c. ported having poor health.
II symptoms of the disease are
A. heavy. drowsy condition, but not con
It. The child is restless, cranky and war
~ to be left entirely alone. When rous
or UP it is bright enough. There may
tn an occasional twitch or an arm, leg
ct part of the face and the patient m
n porspire profusely. The general wea
us uess and apathy later in the coui
r. Of the disease become localized and
de very characteristic symptom at
is beginning is eXcruciating pain a
it, tenderness in the muscles affect
a In cases of infantile paralysis the
IN is generally a stiffness of the ne
'ge ana back The whole nervous syst
III is affected so that any part of ,
ad body is apt to become paralyzed.
be though sometimes II is a very SIN
Of part such as one eyelid, or one h
his of uhe palate.
IA The most important thing to asc
the tain is whether or not the muse
Ills controlling respiration are affected.
IN when this occurs life Is almost s.
as to go. If both the lungs and diaphra,
md are affected DR.. Fraser, continui
OF gave the physicians' ways OF diagn
md ing a case and in the prognosis he
IAN Vised them to be frank with the p
ents and II the respiration of the cl
was affected to tell them so and t
nd the chances of recovery were SIN
ill., ana 10 tel them rrahhiy tna'
of muscles of the legs are affected
old physician cannot tell whether or
the child will walk again, for st
ven has shown that vhe physician is
in in position to say. Physici
use should he especially guarded aga
nal proEnosis before first giving the
the tient a thorough examination,
us Few things have thus far been dis
,ca- cred which are known to give reliel
arm cure, and most depends upon the rel
of ing force OF the patient but there
lat many things which may be done for
dis comfort fllloWs may De 30 piaceu
zen meath the shoulders that 'fe heao
,,oh fall backwards and have no strain ,
has 'he iiuSV'es' VI p'"V en ',usI
ria to take the strain OFF The limbs
1.al