South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-16
NEW INF ANTILE
PARALYSIS CURE
Blood Rush to Affected Spinal
Cord Meets With Sue
cess.

CHICAGO, Dec. IA new meth
Cd Of treating infantile paralysis by
causing a rush Of blood. to the in
jured cells of the spinal cord, pub
lished in the Medical Record Of Nov.
Il. tells a story of a series Of ex.
periments which led TO successful
results in handling paralyzed pa
tients. The treatment is a further
application of hyperemia, a long
practiced method of rushing the
blood TO some injured portion Of the
body, thus stimulating recovery.
The article says any physician
may apply the simple treatment
/ which makes the blood rush to the
affected cells OF the spinal cord, a
hitherto inaccessible part of the
anatomy. Whenever there are any
living cells left in the spinal cord
recovery is merely a matter of time.
In the case where the disease has
killed all the nerve cells which con-
troll the lower limbs and other parts
Of the body no hope is extended 10
patients at present.
Seven years experience with the
treatment demonstrated its efficacy
in so per cent of the cases treated.
Recovery required from a week TO
six months, depending on the Sc
verify of the disease.
The first series of treatments were
accomplished without anything save
the physicians hands and consisted
Of suspending a child patient be-
tween the hands of the physician
and producing a number of rhythmic
swingings calculated TO stretch the
spinal column and to flood with
blood the lumbar or cervical en-
largement.
This procedure was soon found to
present certain difficulties, especial
ly in larger children. In adults the
weight Of the patient would make
the treatment physically impossi-
BILE
To obviate the possibility OF error
with reference TO placing the lever
age at the right place as well as TO
enable the physician TO practice the
swingings in a most convenient man
ner a simple swing-like appliance
was devised to pass under the pa.
tents arms and across the back.
When suspended therein for
minute or two the patient undergoes
extension and relaxation of the spine
without any effort on the part of the
attendant.
The treatment proper is carried
out as follows:
The patient is placed in the ap-
pliance Of a size chosen for the
special case. For the first two min
utes the patient is allowed to remain
suspended undisturbed for the pur-
pose of obtaining relaxation of the
spinal column.
The patient then is swung for
ward and backward with a jerk,
somewhat in the manner used to
bring down the mercury in a fever
thermometer. If this movement is
properly executed the lower extremi-
ties will swing back in an opposite
direction at the moment each ma
neuver has been completed. This
procedure is executed 10 TO %
times, depending on the tolerance
of the patient
may bt SVEN CNNAS
other day or even Oftener, all de-
pending on the reaction.
The astonishing results that have
followed this simple treatment, ac-
cording TO the Medical Record, can
be explained only by the fact that
a hyperemia is produced in the af-
fected portion of the cord. Several
physicians have had ample oppor-
tunity to follow up a number OF
Eases and il is said there is no doubt
as to the permanency of the re-
suits