The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-01
SERUM FOUND TO
COMBAT PARALYSIS
Rockefeller Institute Experts
Report on Study Of
Poliomyelitis.

A series Of papers on infantile paraly-
sis. in which are embodied the results
Of the special studies in poliomyeltis
made by members Of the Rockefeller In
stitute for Medical Research during the
last fall and winter. form an important
contribution to the April number Of the
Journal of Experimental Medfcinc, which
is published by the institute and will ap-
pear tomorrow.
One learns early in g!ancing through
the series that the microbic cause OF the
disease enters the system by way Of the
mucous membrane OF the throat and
nose: also, that 1t has been demonstrated
that many more persons are exposed 10
! the disease and become contaminated
!, with It than develop the disease or con-
vey the virus to others who may de-
| velop It. 1t is obvious. therefore as the
| expermenters point out. that the BODY
contains natural defences against the
virus. During the epidemic Of last sum-
mer only l.5s persons out Of every 1000
In the greater city suffered from polio
myelitis In any form.
To DR.. Amoss Of the Rockefeller In
stitute and DR.. Taylor Of the state
BOARD of Health of Vermont belongs the
credit Of discovering that the first set OF
defensive means resides In the secretions
Of the nose. The power Of these secre-
t,ons. however, to destroy the active virus
,s not absolute, 1t is pointed out. but may
=. a1ected by the state Of the mem
hr.ne normal or otherwise. or by tndi-
v;duai peculiarities SO far unexplained.
m. neutralizing power OF the nasal
| uecrettons iE the rule rather than the
| exception. IL
| <sn,.. against the disease, but the eX-
nerImenters also have detected Get OF
internal defences. which include intact
| membranes around the spinal cord ana
| the brain, and also the brain structure
known as the choroad pieAus' .ne iunc-
,ion NJ which Is to drain OF fuid from
the blood. which forms the normal cere-
hrospinal LIQUID which Surrounds these
| organs. ~,
By experimenting upon monkeys Dr
| Flexner and DIR. Amoss have shown that
by Increasing artihcially the permeaeil-
ity of the monkeys membranes the heal
ing substances pass easily into the nuid
within the membranes, this fluid being
the most direct route to the interior OF
the spinal cord and brain. During
earlier experiments with monkeys DR.
Flexner and DR.. Lewis demonstrated as
early as 1910 that monkeys inoculated
with poliomyelitis virus often would moi
develop the disease II BY means OF q
| procedure known AS the lumbar pune
ture the blood Of other monkeys that had
recovered from the disease was injected
into the membranes surrounding the
spinal cord.
Attention is called in the series OF
papers that will appear tomorrow tc
the exceptional opportunity to use the
serum treatment under favorable condi'
tions OF environment In this city last
supmer. owing to the great severity and
widespread prevalence of the disease.
better understanding OF the problem oi
administ ration also obts ined during thu
recent. epidemic. The results obtained
by DIR. Amoss and DR.. Chesney OF tn,
Rockefeller institute in the serum treat
ments they conducted last summer a
the Westchester Isolation Hospital
which was built during the epidemic, ar,
embodied In the series Of papers