El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-09
DISCOVER FIFTH PARALYSIS CASE

as well controlled by the public health
| service through the issuance of pass
| interfering less with the nations
| travel In communities where the dis
| ease had manifested itself to con-
siderable extent the public health SER
vice discouraged allowing children IN
der IS years OF age attending public
! meetings of any kind. IN places where
| the disease had manifested itself only
slightly. however, attendance at meet
ing was not forbidden where held I'M
der what was practically medical
supervision
Preventive Measures.
Other. preventive measures urged by
recommended by the county health
officer are
l. Prevent children from playing
with other children.
Give them light. nutritious diet.
8. Battle the children frequently.
4. Pay close attention to personal
hygiene. Especially. keep the nose
and throat clean. It has been found
excreta from infantile paralysis pa
tients will result in the monkeys tax
ing the same disease. But do not use
Irritating solutions in cleansing the
nose and throat.
5. Keep the home clean The public
health service declares that soap. water
and elbow grease" is worth more than
all the gas fumigation in existence
Keep all pets (cats and Dogs clean b.
frequent bathing.
g. Allow children plenty OF outdoor
exercise, but apart from neighbor chill
dren. for infantile paralysis has been
demonstrated TO be contact disease
and may be transmitted partly by toys
handled by one child and passed on TO
another
Z. Keep down the fly nuisance.
s. Avoid the common drinking cup.
Infantile paralysis is known to be
an infectious disease. although the
early symptoms, said DR. Thomas. are
the same as those in any other acute
infection: - dache, high fever, nausea,
bowel dist@bance. restlessnes, irrita-
bility and lasSitude.
The paralytic symptoms may not ap-
pear for p to SO hours after the first
acute toxic symptoms manifest them
selves.
II Is strongly recommended that in
all cases where such early symptoms
appear, the child be put to bed. given
a dose of castor oil, and the family
in their diagnosis by making a lumbar
puncture and drawing off a test Of |
spinal fluid which, in the presence Of |
infantile paralysis, will be of a cloudy |
nature 4,
one Of the first positive symptoms |
Of the disease is rightly Of the head |
and neck
Infantile paralysis manifests itself In /
various types, said DR.. Thomas: the /
non paralytic. the cerebral or spastic |
Featured by delirium) and the bulbo-
spinal, which is the worst form Most
fatalities and severe paralysis are due
TO the last named type
Fatalities re Percent.
Fatalities in infantile paralysis in |
New York have averaged about 2s
percent throughout the course of the
epidemic, though the percentage of /
fatalities in cases treated in hospi-
-als Is very much lower. The earlier !
case is treated the greater the chance
f complete recovery
Serum Treatment Advocated.
In my opinion the best treatment
$ the administration of serum taken
rom the blood of people who have re-
,overed from infantile paralysis said
Dr. Thomas 'T believe our dry atnos-
,here is in our favor and that a damn
atmosphere aids the spread of the dis
ase
Il would urge the people here not
o become excited and leave home, but !
o take all sanitary precautions as
utlined above, and, further to prevent I
hildren from taking cold which might |
ause an infection to develop in the
asal and throat passag yes. facilitating 1
extracting of infantile paralysis The / ,
ublic is asked to report at once any
cute sickness in which any symp- ,
1r1s Of paralysis exist"