Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-20
Infantile PARALYSIS
BY Frederic y. Haskin

shortage of monkeys. the animals most
easily infected with the disease, Is
handicapping this effort badly. Meth.
er has any specific drug cure been
found for the poison which this disease
generates, although hexamethylena'
mine is used, and accompanies some
, cures. 'H ,..T
Specifically, the disease attacks the
nerve centers, especially the spinal
column, and causes nervous LESSONS
throughout the body. Sometimes 1t
strikes the head first causing often a
partial paralysis of the face. In other
cases it begins with the feet and legs,
I and gradually ascends to the trunk
This variety Of the disease is most apt
/ to be fatal. .-- e.
The worst phase of infantile paraly'
sis, however, is the after effects. Al
though a relatively small percentage
of those infected die, by far the great
er number never fully recover. The
arms or legs may remain paralyzed, or
some of the muscles may be affected
or the development of the limbs pre-
vented. 1t Is the cause Of an immense
number of malformed bodies.
In this regard the developments IN
electro-therapeutics and orthoped1cs
promise a great deal of relief. The ap'
plication OF electric currents to the
muscles when the patient is GONZALES
cent may save them from paralysis
and massage is also very beneficial.
Orthopedic surgeons have done some
remarkable work in this line. The
transportation Of tendons Is one OF
the most remarkable repairs of the hui
man mechanism that science has sue
ceeded in making. If, for example the
fore muscles of the leg are paralyzed,
but some of the back muscles are still
functioning, one of these latter may be
detached at one end and fastened to
the front in such way that the pa
tient, with education, can recover the
power of walking. -
Monkeys are about the only animals
that have been infected with infant1le
paralysis, but some physicians believe
that so-called distemper In horses and
dogs may be caused by the same infec-
ton: Therefore, animals so anected
should be rigidly isolated. 49, ~
The disease is supposed to have
reached this country from Europe, in
it's epidemic form, which is much more
severe than the sporadic variety. There
was no epidemic OF the disease In this
country prior to 1907, when New York
had two thousand cases, of which
about six per cent were fatal. Since
then there have been several minor
epidemics, and there is every evidence
of a steady increase of the disease.
Though far less deadly and widespread
it presents somewhat the same prob
lem that yellow fever did In the tropics
before the mosquito was definitely con-
victed of carrying the disease. Some
brilliant discovery of the media of con.
tagion will probably be the means OF
solving this problem also.
When an epidemic" is In progress, the
most important preventive steps are
to keep children away from public
gatherings, and from the use of public
drinking cups, towels and the like. The
child should also be restrained from
over exertion and the digestion should
be carefully watched, for large pro-
portion of the cases begin with some
disturbance Of the digestion. There is
also apt to be- headache, stiffness and
dazed sleepy condition. The onset Is
often very sudden. A child may 60 to
sleep we'll and wake up with many Of
the symptoms. Hence. the prompt at
tendance of physician, in case of any
suspicious symptoms, Is of the first
Importance, ,..'t .'