Evening journal., 1916-08-23

/ review Of experimentation In the
Rockefeller laboratories, as eNpound-
/ ed In detailed and technical reports
submitted 10 clinics Of the hospitals
Of the United States
II seems ironicsl in an age when
the world is marveling at the un-
uanny accomplishments OF science,
necessitated and uncovered by the
war. that the pursuit of a germ more
microscopic than needle-point,
should prove a futility TO the most
learned and wise OF the earth's medi-
cal men.
A pestilence had been visited upon
the children OF several great cities
and daily there are startling reports
OF mortality. Yet the scourge. which
Is by no means new disease, is as
much OF a puzzle to medical men as
It was back in the days OF Moses
and the Israelites.
Infantile paralysis-the mystery.
There is no denying that It Is one
OF the earth's grea'cst mysteries.
Great. because its solution would
mean the prolonged life OF babies.
The medical term given the pestilence
---Poliomyelitis-is a technical appela-
tion. and while high-sounding to the
laity, serves in no way toward the
simplihcation OF the diseases mys-
teries.
Prevalent Only In Summer.
In the last few months-since the
beginning Of the warm weather-the
world has heard much Of this disease
especially since New York broke
out" Strangely enough, the public
has been told OF the ravages OF in
, fantiIe paralysis; its terrible effects
. both upon children and adults; its in
fectiousness; its symptoms, etc, bui
there has been heard no word OF the
l. manner of treatment and the meas
ures for prevention, save in the lat
= ter case, a few drastic guarantees
= by the health departments Of neigh
II boring cities and States. Summing I
E. all up, however, It is not so verl
, strange that there has been hearC
81 nothing of treatments. AS matte
10 Of fact, there is no uniform treat
? ment; first, because so little Is know
Of the cause OF infantile paralysis
d second, because in many case th'
Is symptoms vary in a large degree ant
l. the effects assume multiple aspects
le It would be we'll here first TO de
u scribe the effects, probable causes
Il development and proportions Of in
lie fantile paralysis before proceeding 4
In expound the comparatively exper
m mental which Is the best our doctor
can do until somebody finds that el
aspersting little germ and then
serum that will strangle him.
Not a New Dlsesee.
. As has been said. the disease
E. not a new one. Although the frs
IN clear description Of II in 1910 by
ld German, Il was fairly we'll describe
n, by an English physician. Michae
as Underwood In IVA. Since then SUI
as cessive contributions have analyzeI
Ia elaborated and harangued about I'll
az disease with some good results. PHI
ng cipally because the malady was pr
he valent in their countries, Norwegis
he and Swedish authors furnished Il
a's best copy OF modern times.
NJ. II bad long been suspected as
- Ing an infectious disease. but this IA
- was not established until Novembl
1909 when Drs. Flexner and Levi
of the Rockefeller Institute demo
i, strated by incubation of a series
u monkeys with issues from childre
- dying from the disease, that the pr
o. cess was an infectious one, placing
In the category with rabies, yello
fever and foot-and-mouth diseas
This discovery was undoubtedly Il
on most important addition TO our know
I'D edge Of the disease ever made.
n The first great epidemic OF modei
lid times occurred In Norway and Sw
en- den in 1905. Two thousand cases. a
together, we're reported. Infant
a paralysis first appeared in the Unite
re, States In any considerable extent
on 1894 when 1872 cases we're report'
he in otter Creek Valley, Vermont. Son
ng ten small epidemics we're reported
this country in the next twelve year
not counting that in New York
present. In 1907, in New York, thei
occurred an epidemic almost as sci
ss Gus as that OF the present time. Nea
at ly three thousand cases we're reporti
u during that year. In 1908, the d.
as ease was apparently quiescent. TIL
IS was followed by outbreaks In 1909
is- various parts of the country, and
M Cuba for the first time. with tot
lld for the year of 2.343 cases in ell A..
IN Imported From Scandinavia
IS In 1910 the disease assumed mu'
er' more serious proportions and WI
~ present in AZ States.
re- There is little doubt that the di
ny ease was originally imported TO III
a country from Norway and Swede
IS Is because Of the extensive immigrant,
al; here following the epidemics aero
nu the Atlantic. Travel In the Unit
Is States has had much to do with I
- malady's spread.
IN The etiology OF the disease is SON
ss' what conglomerated. The virus fin
its center in the brain or the spin
cord and causes partial or genei
r. paralysis in time. the mortality ave
er- age in children being 10 out of II
lilly The first symptoms in young childr
rch invtriably are tenderness in certs
hts. anatomical parts, vomiting, few
sore throat and pains in the legs
arms AS the disease develops. Pre-
60 ably on the second or third day, [
tor patient suffers from frontal headacl
the pain and tenderness in the left sid
the also right shoulder and arm and
the cough.
on or about the fourth day,
treatment had not been begun, or
HT. not successful, paralysis begins in a
:. part OF the body that may offer LEI
rn ou resistance. Generally. 1t affects I
& legs OF arms. Occasionally the ey
@ eee or headmuscles are deadened I
M a. left leg is the most susceptible D;
OF the body in children. Fever a
'u9' vomiting continues and in time co
plete paralysis occurs and death Z