The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-11

Because of the spread of ipfantile paralysis, known to medical men as interior poliomyelitis, the following discussion of the disease, printed in the Journal of the American Medical association, will be both interesting and enlightening:
 Acute anterior poliomyelitis is an inflammation !, of the anterior gray matter of the spinal cord, that por- tion supplied by the central arteries, the branches of the anterior median artery the anterior longitudinal f1s- sure. However. it may also affect both the white and gray matter of the brain, the intervertebrai ganglia and the abdominal ganglia. Flexner be- l1eves that the route of infection is practically always by the nasal mu- cous me nibrane to the lymphatic chan nels of the olfactory lobes, the spinal nudd and then to the nerve tissues.
 It was not definitely known, untl 1909, that this disease belonged to the Infections and was contagious, al- though itsShad been long suspected. More or less: isolated instances and some slight group attacks had oc- cured in America for many years, but we have had epidemics only since 1907, caused probably by 1mportations of the germ from Europe, where it has been long epidemic. In 1909, Land steiner and Pepper reported that they had caused infantile paralysis in mon- keys by inoculating them with a spin- al cord emulsion obtained from a child who died from this disease. No- guchi and Flexner later reported that they had been able ito cultivate a cansative organism of this disease. Recently, Flexner aud his co-workers have shown that the contagium is contained in the secretions of the nose. and that undeubtdely there are car riers of this disease. It seems to be . demonstrated that the infection or poison reaches the nervous system through the lymph. but probably < reaches 1t point of activity, namely, the spinal cord. by means of the cere- brospina1 fluid. In previous experi- ments Flexner and Amoss have shown that in all probability. infection does not reach the individual from the bites of insects. as they were unable to infect monkeys by directly intro lducing the virus into the blood.< This does not preclude the possibility of domestic animals Nike cats and dogs carrying the cpntagium and causing infection by way of the nostrils and Lymph channels. It has not been shown that flies transmit the tcnta- Igfum,; nor that that association with stables has increased the liability of infection as has been suggested. It Iddes not seem frequent that more than lone person in the same household Is affected, although such cases occur. However. in epidemics the majority of patients are likely to come from the came general region.
 Frazer of New York reports his ob- iservations on ninety cases of epidemic Ipoliomyelitis. He found that the age varied from months to IA years. The Imajortty of cases. especially when it nss sporadic, has always occurred in Iyoung children under 5 years of age. The death rate is generally low vary ling from 1 to 16 per cent, but the |paralysis resulting are constant and Ifrequent.l Y IA st fs svy.
 Flexner and Lewis state that the nn3ectng agent Tn this disease belongs lto the class of minute filterable virus- les which cannot be demonstrated with certainty by means of the microscope. FThey also showed that spinal fluid Withdrawn on the third day of the injection, before the Appearance of lpara1ysis, contains the virus which Ahwi1l cause infection of monkeys. Flex- kner. Noguchi and Amoss have recent lily shownIthat the minute micro-or- ganism isolated from poliomylitic tis- 1ete is probably an etiologic factor, if lndf the cause, of epidemic poliomyeli- fi& Flexner and Lewis also showed that the disease can be transmitted 3rom monkey to monkey. They fur ther showed that the germ or virus resists freezing, and therefore the dis cease is not stopped by cold weather They also believe that one attack con- Hers immunity. <
 It iss.quite probable that the. so- called "distemper' which at .times attacks dogs and may attack horses is really caused by this same infec. tion. Hence, a dog affected with dis temper should be isolated, and nc child allowed to associate with it While 1t has been shown that flies will carry this disease, in all probability they may transmit the infection by their feet. Consequently. flies should be excluded by proper screens. if pos. siple, from, any animal that suffer. from distemper, and certainly should be prevented from reaching an indi
 vl0udl SiCh fWlth pOlOIuy cHllS.
 As early as Feb. 12, 1910. Flexnel and Lewis showed that this diseas, was contag gious by means of the se cretions of the mucous membrane O the nose especially, and also of tn, throat, and therefore that every pa tient should be isolated, and that tn disease should Abe\made reportable t, the boards of health.
 The nurse and the family shoul, understand that the same care mus be exercised in destroying the conta gium and preventing the contamina ton of articles and substances by th < eecretions of the nose and throat of , poliomyeIitfs patient as, is so- well un derstood must be taken in diptheria
 As soon as a case is reported to tn
 board of health the school boar, should be informed Gas such case are Frequently in children too youn, to go to schooD that they may sen. home from school the other childrel of the family. and If there Is an epi demic. perhaps the other children o that tenement. The incubation periot Is said to vary. and may be as long a ten days; but to be safe from causinl Infection in others, such childre1 should remain out of school for tw, weeks.
 During an epidemic symptoms O ncute infection with fever, excessiv trritability and hyperesthesia shoul, -fbe suspected of infection with thi disease.
 Although patient who is ol,