The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-04

Despite the great advances III recent kyears in our knowledge concerning the tstiology and pathology of acute myeio- lkncenbalstis. and notwithstanding the numerous excellent papers, recently [Dublished on the early treatment Of sthis disease and its effect on the out kcome of the paralysis, few diseases or tsuch serious nature are so little un- kderstood by the medical profession at k3arge as this one. We have been pow terless to prevent the spread of cpl denies: unable to make the correct 5diagnosis until after the advent of a lfrank paralysis. Treatment both pro- Sphylactic and curative has been futile, sand the correct outlook as to the 1u- sture progress of given case is rarely Sforetold. Is there any wonder, there kfore, that so many patients fall into the hands of quacks and irregular fpractitioners?
 V This at least has been the writer's 8 kexperience in the recent epidemic of k1nfantile paralysis in Ohio. He 'has bseen many patients, improperly man. taEed as to treatment and functional Euse, grow worse and lose what little Emuscle strength was left in the af- knicted muscle groups, because of the Efalse sprognosis as to the duration and fthe course of the treatment and the kAnal outcome as to function One shas konly to consult the recent publications of Lovett and Buchholz to realize the possibilities for partial recovery of kfunction and the tremendous impor- ktance of properly graduated muscle ktreatment and the baneful effects of 1over-stimulation, excessive use and boverexertion.
 < It is of vital importance that the Ephys1cian in charge in the acute stage lof this disease should be conversant swith the true course of the recovery kOf muscle function. In the inability to SHiagnose and specifically treat the be- kginning stages of infantile paralysis, Every little additional harm is done in Nthe present state of our knowledge; Ebut with a promise of a perfect cure kfhe seed is sown for a lack of appre- Jciation for 8 good functional recovery E6or the lack of necessary endurance kand patience on the part of the pa krents, which results in desperate at- btempts to force the victim into the yeyils of overenertion and overstimula- bfion, with its consequent deplorable Seffects of loss of muscle tone, oyer kstretching and weakening of the af-
 
 misunderstanding prevalent, in the kmedical profession today concerning tfhis disease is so conducive of harm tas is this ignorance concerning the Ifrue prognosis.
 } Epidemic infantile paralysi- is ar tacute, contagious, infectious disease tettended with high mortality, the krate varying from 9 to 20 per cent. il kvarious epidemics, and in the vas tmajority of cases the disease occa E6ions permanent muscle damage O. kGreater or lesser extent and render. kthe victim a cripple The grave bcharacter of infantile paralysis can bt kmore readily grasped if this disease As contrasted with others concerning Fwhose epidemic seriousness there is nc bdoubt In typhoid fever the morbfdit, Land mortality are about the same, ant kthe length of the stay in bed is no Eunlike; but in typhoid the convales kcent patient gains rapidly in strengt1 kand well being and is soon restored tt fmormal function. In infantile para1y Isis, convalescence is only the prepara btlon for long and tedious struggle lagainlt crippledopn.
 The death rate is directly compar iable to the severity of the infection |
 most important part The upper cer
 vica1 and cereballer types, with thej Eparayses of the muscles of respiration
 and deglutition, are responsible fo
 the majority Of deaths.
 Complete recovery from the paraly isis is not as frequent as some writer
 wou1G note. Mark Richardson ant
 Sever state that 25 per cent of all thei
 patients made a complete recovery
 They also note that in half of the re
 covered cases the onset was mild ant
 the return of complete function oc
 cured rapidly, i. C., in from four [,
 SIX weeks; but they further state "n,
 one can tell at first which case is go ling to make such a recovery
 On the other hand, many recent wri
 ters, among them O'Reilly, Howart
 and Schouffler, note that "complet
 recovery occurs but rarely and tha
 there is rarely a case so mild that i
 can be absolutely cured and allowed
 tc pass oUt Of observation" Ny oyi
 experience in the Ohio epidemic o I1915 gave me only two cases out o kthe seventy-eight which I saw person