Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-08-11
PREVENTION OF
INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Il
Public Health Service to-day, the chain
of infection between persons harboring
germs of the disease and the well mem
bers of the community should be
broken. Infantile paralysis is probably
caused by very minute organism
found in the nasal, mouth and bowel
discharges Of those who have the
disease or who are carriers of the germ
without themselves suffering from the
ailment. All of the steps In the spread
OF the infection are not known but if
this germ can be prevented from pass
ing from the infected to the well person
the disease will cease.
Infantile paralysis is not disease of
recent origin. Sporadic or scattered
cases have occurred throughout the
country for many years but it is only
during the last decade that the infec-
tion has assumed epidemic proportions
in the United States. The present epi-
demic in New York City, on account of
its magnitude and virulence, has awak-
ened the residents of many communi-
ties to the danger of the importation of
| the disease into their own midst. This
danger is real, but if due precautions
are exercised ii is believed that the
epidemic will subside.
The actual control of the present
| epidemic must be left to the city, State
and Federal health authorities. These
organizations will properly quarantine
and care for affected persons, pre-
scribe sanitary measures and limit as
may be necessary the travel of indi-
viduals in order to protect neighboring
districts from the infection. Individu-
ais and communities, however, can do
much toward their own protection.
Poliomyelitis is probably spread di-
rectly or indirectly, through the medium
OF infective secretions. Account must
therefore be taken by communities of
every means by which such secretions
are disseminated. Promiscuous expec-
toration should be controlled. The
common drinking cup affords method
for the interchange of material OF this
nature and should therefore be abolish
ed. Rigid cleanliness of glasses and
utensils at soda fountains, in saloons
and other public places should be en-
forced. Flies, reaches and other
vermin, by coming in contact with in
fective secretions, may possibly convey
them to our food and thus directly
bring about the development OF disease.
Therefore eliminate insects. Street
and house dust bear definite relation
to the spread of many infections and il
is not unreasonable to presume that
they may be factor in the dissemina-
ton of infantile paralysis. Maintain
strict cleanliness of streets, yards and
alleys in order to prevent the breeding
of insects and other vermin. See that
all garbage and waste are properly
cared for and collected at regular and
frequent intervals. Guard all food
supplies, especially milk and other
perishable products, Digestive troubles
of children arising from the ingestion
of food of questionable quality may
lower resistance. Assemblies of chill
dren in infected localities are to be
discouraged, if not actually forbidden
While the above measures are in a
sense general, and applicable to many
epidemic diseases, their importance
should not be overlooked.
Individual preventive measures may
be thus summarized:
Summon physician at once and i'm
mediately notify the health officer of
the presence of the disease. If the
disease is present in the community,
medical aid should be sought when
ever child is sick no matter how light
the illness; many cases of infantile
paralysis begin with slight indisposi-
ton. Should the illness prove to be
infantile paralysis isolate the patient,
place competent person in charge,
and reduce all communication with the
sick room to minimum. Hospital care
| nOt thC Shhu Out
in order to better safeguard against the
spread of the disease. The sick room
should be well ventilated and screened.
Nasal and mouth secretions should be
received in cloths, placed in a paper
bag, and burned. The clothing of the
child, the bed linen, and the excretions
should be disinfected in the same
manner as for typhoid fever, that is by
boiling, the long continued application
of 5 per cent carbolic, or other well
recognized disinfectant The same is
true for dishes and drinking vessels.
Nurses should exercise the same pre-
cautions as regards cleanliness of hands
in caring for infantile paralysis patients
as for those afflicted with other infec-
tious diseases.
A child may convey the disease to
others even after a lapse Of several