Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-11
MEASURES FOR PREVENTION OF
INFANT PARALYSIS PLAGUE
OUTLINED.
On. SUMNER ISSUES
BULLETIN OF WARNING
ir,msd ate Isolation Of Afflicted Chill.
drenl Most Important - Disease
Known to Physicians For Years
Resembles Typhoid Fever at lncsp.
tion-Text Of Sumner Bulletin.

Des Moines, July 11.-Dr. G. H.
Sumner, secretary of the state board
of health, today gave out the following
measures as precaution and pre-
tentative of the infantile paralysis
epidemic which has been sweeping
states to the east of here:
Put all patients in clean. bare, well
ventilated rooms, screened to keep out
flies and other insects.
THE rest of the family should be
kept at home as much as possible.
NO persons should be allowed to
enter the sick room except the doc
tor and nurse.
'Disinfection should be thoroughly
carried out. For washing hands and
clothing add two teaspoonfQls of car
bolic acid, IS per cent, to one quart OF
water or two teaspoonfuls Of formalln
to one quart of water.
when the nurse leaves the sick
room she should Immediately wash
and disinfect her hands. She also
should wear, an overgarmsnt and re-
move same on leaving the sick room.
"All clothes and bed clothes before
being removed from sick room and all
washable clothes before being removed
from the premises should be soaked
for an hour in the carbolic or formalin
solution.
"All eating utensils or remnants OF
food used by the patients should be
boiled before being taken from the
sick room. 50
,"All milk bottles received at the
house should be boiled before being
returned to the dairy.
"The remainder of the family should
take FREQUENT baths and use hydrogen
peroxide, one teaspo6nful to glass OF
water as a gargle and nose spray:
"The house should he. kept as free
from dust as possible bysprinkling the
floor before sweeping and by using
damp cloths for busting.
"All9 dogs, cats or other pets should
be kept out of the sick room. All in
stances of acute paralysis in domestic
animals about the house or the farm
should be carefully investigated and
all such affected animals should be
promptly killed and the quarters in
which they were kept carefully dis
infected. M
Surrounding premises should be
sprinkled daily.
patients should be kept isolated
until the placard $has heens removed
and the house has BEEN thoroughly
~
"The above instructions should be
carried out: not only fog eit,fAntile or
spinal paralysis but f6rs coht1Sio
Infectious diseases. The use Of deodo-
rants is useless and Objectionable"
Suggested Course Of Action.
Des Moines physicians today dis
cussed the situation in the east and
several suggested courses to be pur-
sued by IoWans in guarding against
infection DR.. Lenna Meanes sug-
gested course OF local action. She
said:
$ '.If a child has fever that may be
or, summer intestinal
trouble, or any less harmful or con-
tagious disease, he should be isolated
at once and physician called. 1t is
not always necessary to do this, as
mother generally knows how to treat
a minor illness Of her baby but in
view of the epidemic it is the only safe
way In a few days the physician
can. ascertain whether the ailment is
infantile paralysis and steps can be
taken accordingly. The paralysis
shows up within two or, three days
after the fever develops. Previous to
that the disease seems to be greatly
like a number of other children's dis
eases. That Is why it is difficult to
control"
Infantiies Paralysis Not New.
Dr. Charles Smith, member of the
Des Moines school board, said:
"Infantile paralysis is not a new
disease. Well informed physicians
have known about it for many years.
It does seem to be more prevalent now
than formerly but that may seem to
be true merely because we are making
greater efforts to combat it. Scientists
are working day and night to dis
cover the origin and cure of the dis
ease. There is no cure now. All we
spread of the plague.
"A great many of the cripples you
see these days with withered limb
are victims Of infantile paralysis.
THE disease looks and acts at the
start like typhoid fever. Until pa
ralysis developed there is no way OF
telling any difference between the
The plague is not confined
to children altho it is more prevalent
the little ones.
Rest and massage are the only
things that will combat. the disease in
any way, so far as is known. They
will relieve the patient to some extent.
It would seem if the disease has al
ways been prevalent there would be
more cripples in the old world than
we see now, but 1t must be remem-
bered that % per cent TO 80 per cent Of
the cases result fatally. Then there
are many patients who, after they re-
cover from the disease, are in such a
weakened condition that they sue
cumb easily to some other ailment."