Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-20

Washington, d. c., July 17-The CITY
of New York is struggling with one OF
the worst epidemics of infantile para
lysis that has ever occurred In this
country, and the whole Of New York
state Is alarmed over the possibility OF
its spread Children are being exclud
ed from moving picture shows, Sunday
schools and many other schools are be-
ing closed, and all gatherings of chill
dren are permitted only under the
most careful medical supervision. Al
though not as wide spread so far as the
epidemic which occurred in 1907 and
1908, this one Is more deadly. Over
twenty-five per cent of the victims
have died, although heretofore the per
centage of mortality has never been
above fifteen and generally much
lower.
The terrors of infantile paralysis OF
poliomyelitis, as 1t is technically term
ed, are greatly increased by the mys
terry which surrounds the disease, and
by its rapid increase in recent years
1t is specific infection and the organ
ism causing it has been isolated and
studied. 1t is also known that the dis
ease is communicable; but the means
by which the germs are conveyed from
one person to another have never been
finally and certainly determined. There
seems to be no social or hygienic en-
vironment which Is especially produc'
tive of the disease. 1t strikes children
of all classes and all ages between nine
months and sixteen years, although
the great majority of its victims are
under the age Of five years.
1t has been definitely established
that the germs of the disease are found
in the mucous membrane of the nose
and throat of those who are infected !;
and it is generally believed that from
these membranes the germs are COM
municated, either by means Of food
and drink or dust or the air. The
United States public health service be-
lieves that food and drink are prob
ably the media. Some doctors in New
York are now strongly advocating the
dust theory. On the other hand mon
keys, which are used almost entirely
for experimental work with this dis
ease. have been infected by the bite Of
the stable fly and this has given rise
to the theory that insects may be the
carriers of this as they are of so many
otAC1 ulSCdoCs. DuI IL Ids ucNSI Uccu
proved that stable flies were in any
way connected with the spread of the
disease among human beings. Indeed
the fact that it seems to occur abso-
lutely irrespective of environment, ex-
cept that each separate epidemic is
confined to a certain region, is the
most puzzling thing about it.
The growth of this disease in recent
years has been appalling, and if not
checked there is no telling how serious
its ultimate effects may be. In the
period between 1880 and 1884. only
twenty-three cases were reported in
the entire world, while between 1905
and 1909 more than eight thousand
cases were reported. Most startling Of
all, over five thousand Of these cases
occurred in the United States. Usually
in the case of disease which has a
sudden increase in prevalence, the fact
is found to be that it was simply not
recognized earlier This however, does
not apply to infantile paralysis, which
Is practically unmistakable. The ply
sicians of this country are facing the
ra pid spread of serious disease, of
which they do not thoroughly under
stand either the. cause or the cure.
No serum has yet been developed
which will cure infantile paralysis, a.
though the Rockefeller Institute is
working desperately to produce one. A