Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-07-21

WOTu8.
Cleanliness, Rest, Good Food Prevent
infantile Paralysis.
AS long as the winds Of heaven blow
and the dust rises, the germ Of infan.
tile paralysis may find its way to any
human being, regardless of class. The
child Of the tenement who sits In the
railroad station may leave upon the
bench nest of the bicilf for the wo.
man of fashion to brush up In pass
ing and to transmit to her own child.
The scientific name of the malsdy is
derived from the Greek words
"polios," meaning gray matter of the
spinal cord, especially in the front or
anterior portion.
The corporation of every citizen is
necessary in measures to prevent the
spread, and, in order that he may take
proper precautions for his own house
hold as we'll az for others, he should
know something of the nature of THE
insidious disease.
Now, for instance, when some ex-
plosion breaks q street conduit and
disrupts the cables within it the effect
ia felt all over the neighborhood.
Electric lights 90 out, machines stop
for want Of power, the electric fan
comes to stop, the telephone is use
less and the functions of system of
communication, once perfect, are de.
ranged. SO it is with the spinal cord,
a cable Of tissues in conduit of bone.
From it at intervals there issue the
nerves, which are led out from the
sections of the spine, the vertebrae,
to the various parts of the body.
In a word, this dread scourge of
children is due to disease of the spinal
cord. 1t Injuries or destroys q sub
stance in which originate the nerves
of the body. The insulation of the
great cable OF life il damaged, the
wires are destroyed and communica-
ton Is demoralized.
Just as telephone seems "desd"
when the telephone operator ct the
central switch fails to lift the key, the
arms and legs no longer respond to
brain impulses, muscles wither and
decrease in size for want of nourish-
ment, and all the senses are more or
less impaired by the baleful virus of
infantile paralysis Which, has invaded
the system.
The disease is extremely infectious
and contagious, particularly in the
holmes of the careless and slovenly.
For this reason the victim should be
quarantined for ct least six weeks.
The germ makes its Roadway in |
1t does not seem to be affected sppre. |
ciably by either cold or dryness and is,
therefore, hardy. 1t lives . long time
In dust as we'll as in silky long hair of
the Pomerapian in the home In Fifth |
avenue, the dog that rolls On his back
in the vacant lot, the cat that prowls
in the cellar, the horse that stands in
the gutter aud the fly that flits from
flea to flower.
The law of cleanliness must be en-.
forced. The mere going to the coun-
try carries no immunity from this
modern plague. The conditions in
the farm house or the village or the
hotel may be worse than those from
which the little darliugs escaped.
Too much care cannot be exercised in
seeing that all places are free from
decaying material.
Fatigue invites infection. OF course.
every day you take into your body
organ SIMS which float in the air or are
brushed from the clothing. If you
are what you ought to be, You :can
withstand them, but the chances are
hat il the forces of your body are at
! low ebb through lack of food and
Of rest, the perils are increased in
lines of epidemic.
See to it that your children have
abundant meals of substantial and ,
food and that their ner.
1ous systems are not put under heavy
ension by excitement or exertious.
Keep your house clean, keep the
children clean, keep their bowels {
pen, keep them swav from crowds ,
md put them to bed early. ].
As the portal through which infan.
lie paralysis enters the system is the G
lose, keep the nasal passages clean.
The irrigation with alkaline solution ,
5 especially helpful. Boracic acid
olution is also effective.
Finally, "Swat the fly" with more
i'm and vigor than did the little tailor
4 fairy-tale lore, who killed seven ;
lies at one blow. Keep the windows
7ell screened and 60 after the fly e
nth Whatever trusty weapon comes +
0 hand. 8