Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-18
ORIGINAL FOCI OF INFANTILE
PARALYSIS LIMITED IN ZONE
By WILLIAM A. EVANS

nlHIS country is in near.panic over in
i ,antile paralysis. A study of the diff
ferent epidemics Of the disease does not
Justify this public fear
The disease was first described with
moderate accuracy in 1S40 The first re-
corded epidemic in the United States oc'
curred in Louisiana In 1S4l. The known
outbreaks between 1880 and 1910, accord
ing to Rosenau. were: 1880 TO 1884, two
outbreaks; 1885 TO 1889, seven outbreaks;
1890 TO 1898. four outbreaks; 1895 to 1899,
30 outbreaks; 1900 to 1904, nine outbreaks;
1905 TO 1909. 25 outbreaks.
In the years 1905-1909 there were 1854
eases, or 322 cases to an outbreak. In that
five years seven-tenths of all the cases in
the world were in the United States. Ed
wards says there were $500 cases in New
York in 1907 and 5000 cases in the United
States in 1910.
The disease is more or less endemic in
the United States. Every large city has a
Of every State each year there are few
eases.
There have been rather alarming epi-
denies in the following parts of the United
States in the last 10 years: In Massachu-
setts. 1907 TO 1912; Vermont I9l4-1915;
New York city Buffalo, Eau Claire and
other points in western Wisconsin, south
srn Minnesota and northern Iowa, especial
" around Mason City; Kansas City and
vicinity, q certain district in Texas, Los
epidemic in New York city.
These epidemics furnish US a good deal
Of Information on which 10 base some opih-
ions. The epidemics in Massachusetts were
thoroughly studied by the Massachusetts,
etate and local boards OF health, and that
IN Buffalo by the city health department.
Infantile paralysis is difficult 10 control
IN given locality in which II exists an
epidemic The reason for this Is that so
many carriers and mild cases unrecogniZed
As sources OF danger by the authorities
spread the disease.
whenever an epidemic exists in a local
tty there Is always an increase in the num-
beF OF reported cases in other localities
from the epidemic focus, but most of II is
due 70 the attention concentrated on the
disease.
In these localities is what may be termed
secondary foci. II acts wholly unlike such
q disease as yellow fever or cholera For
instance in the old yellow fever days there
would be outbreak in New Orleans.
Presently there would be case in Mobile
and another in Memphis. Straightaway
these Mobile and Memphis foci would de-
xelop cases like fre In tindeT. There is
nothing like that In the epidemiOlogy OF
infantile paralysis.
The rule Is that the disease seldom
spreads much In the secondary foci The
history IL that II radiates out from the
original focus for a short distance. The
secondary force In the places a few miles
from the original focus may develop a bad
epidemic. Not so the places constituting sec
endary foci A few hundred miles away.
Therefore. there is no ground for country
Eioe panic.
The health department in New York city
s the best organized municipal health de-
zarzment Ia America That Of New York
4rAEe s the best organized health depart
nent - the country, ] have faith that the
lsesi situation viii be adequately met