Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-29
ny The New Evidence That the
NJ Great Cause, If Not the Only
III Cause, Of Infantile Paralysis
II Is a Rat Infection Communicated

DR.. Richardson has prepared number
or extremely Interesting charts showing
the relation between The appearance OF
human cases OF infantilc paralysis and OF
the numbers OF ncas on rats: that is,
observations OF rats taken AT random
showed that al the time OF the greatest
prevalence Of paralysis the number OF
heas upon the rodents showed their
greatest number. thus establishing
striking and suggestive coincidence.
Dr. Richardson finds that the relation
OF bubon!c plague TO the localities OF
water fronts. sewers, slums. rivers.
brooks. etc. is marked He says
''Brues found in New York City $3.50
q special grouping Of cases on the water
fronts. The same was true of Boston in
1916 In Boston in 1916. al least two
sailors working on the affected water
fronts acquired infantilc paralysis and
died
Furthermore, although the well-to-do
do not escape infection with infantie
paralysis. | agree heartily with the state
ment Of Or. Charles X Mills. Of Phiiade!-
phia. that very great ma jority of cases
occur in surroundings which are unsani-
tary and have all the earmarks OF rat and
flea infestation As 10 tho cases among
the rich there is tho proximity OF stables.
the possession OF cats and dogs and other
carriers.
"In bubonic plague tho primary bubo
is, in tho great majority OF instances. in
the groin. This is, of course. because The
flea reaches most easily the legs OF tho
victim
In infantile paralysis the vast majority
OF ch!dren are paralyzcd in the lower
cXtrcmities either alone or in combina-
ton with other parts OF the body. (See
chart No. lOl We have furthermore.
the following experimental data as deter
mined by Iappert, Lciner and Wiesner
10). These observers found il to be
practically always true that in monkeys
the initial paralysis depended upon the
site OF the incubation. II the incubation
was made into the scialic then tnp initial
paralysis came in the leg. if into the
median then the arm. etc. the infection
travelling along the lymphatics to the
spinal cord. The aforementioned writ
ers suggested that. paralyzcd legs in chill
drcn being in marked predominancc. in
lection might have taken place, in some
instances at least, as in tetanus. through
breaks III the skin of the lower eXtremi-
ties
Tho possible relation Of flea bites 10 this
aspect OF the disease did not occur TO
these writer's probably because. in 1909.
the rat and flea theory OF bubonic plague
had not been fully substantiated The
conclusion, OF course. which | desire 10
.i"" iioi' 'hehe coihp!ned observations
is that this marked excess Of paralysis in
the lower eXtremities is strong presump-
tive evidence that the Infection takes
place through the lower cxtremities. The
ract that the patients a most never give q
history of flea bites is of no contra dictory
value for in bubonc plague such his
tory is rarely forthcoming.
"The cpidemiology Of infontiJc naro1v.
sis corresponds so rema rkablv with that
of bubonic plague. disease known to be
due to the rat and flea, that it can he
stated with great probability that human
infantile paralysis is due to a precedent
and underlying infection of rodents"