Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-07-27

HOW TO AVON
1 DREAD DISEASE.
| Infantile paralysis having
made its appearance in Rock
bingham county and Harrison
burg, the following extracts from
an article by Or. Simon Flexner
taken from the June Ladies
Home Journal, will be timely
The editors note from that pub
LEGATION is also quoted
Editors Note.-Dr. Simon
Flexner may conservatively b.
said to be the highest authority
on infantile paralysis in thu
United States today, because i
is in the Rockefeller Institute
Laboratories, of which he is the
Director, that the most scientific
and persistent investigations are
being made to recognize the
virus OF the disease and its cure
Hence this article, abridged from
Doctor Flexner's article OH this
subject, published last year, is
given in The Ladies Home
Journal and is still the last word
on this subject.
"Infantile paralysis, as it is
called, or poliomy elitis, is not a
new disease in the United States.
1t first appeared here in 1907,
when there was an epidemic OF
the disease, and it has been in
this country ever since.
"Infantiie paralysis is a com.
municable disease which is caus-
ed by the invasion of the spinal
cord and of minute, filterable
virus which has now been secur-
ed by artificial culture. 1t is
distinctly visible under the high
er powers of the microscope, but
the difficulties attending it's ar
tificial Identification under the
microscope are such as to make
futile the employment of ordi.
nary archaeological tests for its
detection. Nevertheless, the Vi
rus can be detected by 1nocula-
ton tests, upon monkeys, which
animals develop a disease cor.
responding to infantile paralysis
in human beings. In this man
ner the fact has been determined
that the mucous membrane of
the nose and Threats of healthy
persons who have been in init.
mate contact with acute cases Of
infantile paralysis may become
conta minated with the virus, and
that such conta minated persons,
without falling i'll themselves,
NAV convey the infection to
others, chiefly children.
1.-The virus enters the body as
a rule, if not exclusively, by way
of the mucous membrane of the
nose and throat. Having gained
entrance to those easily accessi.
BILE parts of the body, multiplied
ton of the virus occurs there,
after which it penetrates to the
brain and spinal cord bv way OF
the Emphatic channels which
connect the upper nasal mem
brane with the interior of the
skull. Whether the virus enter:
the BODY in any other way is un'
known. Certain experiments al
ready alluded to make it posi-
BILE that it may be inocu]ated in
to the blood by insects. and Other
experiments have shown that
under peculiar and extraordinary
conditions, it may, in monkeys
enter through the intestines. Blu,
while the latter two modes of in
lection may operate sometimes
observations upon human cases
of infantile paralysis and upor
animals all indicate that the
avenue of entrance of the virus
into the body is by way of the
membrane of the nose and throat,
"The virus which conveys dis
ease escapes from the body Of ar
infected individual in a manner
enabling it to enter and multiply
within fresh or uninfected in.
dividuals in such a manner as tc
cause further disease. 1t /.
known to leave the infected hu
man body in the secretions of thu
nose, throat and intestines. I,
also escapes from contaminated
healthy persons in the secretion,
lof the nose and throat.
AT one time certain expert
ments seemed to show that bit
ling insects, aud particularly thu